Flesh Puzzles
by abi the weird
Summary: Estelle a child of the future, is trained to kill, forced to hunt down people. And her latest target? Ezio Auditore. But what happens when she begins to feel a strange pull to him, and thus, deserts everything she has. EzioXOC. *Please Review*
1. Prologue

Flesh Puzzles

Prologue

The brunette couldn't help but sigh in relaxation as she exited the small _Costa Café_ with her friend, clutching onto her cup of coffee without much thought. Bringing the warm cup up to her mouth she let the scalding hot liquid run down her throat, taking comfort in the feeling it gave her. Breathing out, a small cloud appeared, and then disappeared into the chilled air.

All Charlotte wanted now was to return home, find her way under the covers of her soft bed, grab a cup of hot chocolate and a box of biscuits, and sit back and watch some random chick flick. It was a routine she loved in the chilling months of winter, taking delight in the laziness that came from it.

But she knew her friend would want to go out for a drink, meet some random guy and sleep with him. She would even try to get the brunette to join in sometimes, but was put down every time. Charlotte didn't want to have sex with every guy she met; she wanted the real thing, as corny as that sounded. Yes, she had already lost her virginity, at the young age of seventeen, but the person she had shared that experience had disappeared a long time ago, though; she never regretted what she did.

Her curvy blonde friend stared at her with bright brown eyes, clutching her hand as she pointed over to a bar on the opposite side of the road. "Hey, wanna go get a drink?" Her voice soft and innocent: she was a person no one would have expected to be somewhat of a sex addict, which to many men, made her all that more attractive.

Charlotte loved her, there was no doubt about that, but Alice had a way of turning on her every now and then, her temper getting the better of her. It was her greatest fault, and at times it scared Charlotte what she could do, but she still loved her. She just worried about her so much, and knew that one of days she would take things too far, hurting both herself and Charlotte. Charlotte knew the time would come at some point, she just didn't know when.

"Really Alice? Can we not just have a movie night? Or something relaxing?" Charlotte said, trying to convince her friend into something more… respectable.

"Oh, come _on_ Charlotte! Just one drink, that's all I'm asking, you don't even have to talk to anyone." Alice pleaded, yet one could see in her chocolate eyes that she had already made her mind up.

Charlotte heaved a loud sigh, "Fine" she muttered, watching as her friend's face lit up and she began dragging her to the bar.

When they entered they could see the small bar was filled right to the brim, all with people in their twenties and thirties. Charlotte ignored the looks she was getting from some men, while Alice smiled at them as they walked passed. They sat down on two empty bar stools while they waited to be served.

As Charlotte stared at her friend she could see that she was already bouncing on her feet, ready to meet some random lad to bed for the night. She rolled her eyes, and clutched at the glass bottle as she was served, popping her thumb over the open top just in case. Alice, however, was not so careful, taking a large swig at her drink, then raising her arms into the air as she went to move over to the bar's dance floor, pulling Charlotte along with her, leaving her coat by the side of the room, revealing a tight red skirt, white blouse tucked in, with some thick black tights and a pair of heels to add to it. Charlotte would say she was somewhat revealing, but she thought that may just be because of her completely different style. Charlotte, being more of a 'punk' person, wore skinny jeans and a simple t-shirt with boots. She never dressed fancy, nor was she all that keen on skirts, but she never appeared dull and boring. She was just… normal, really.

After around half an hour charlotte still clutched onto her first drink, while she had lost count on how many Alice had chugged down. She continued to dance awkwardly, trying to enjoy herself but failing. She didn't want to be here, she wanted to go home, snuggle into bed and hibernate for the next month.

As they continued 'dancing', if you could call it that, Charlotte noticed a pair of vibrant blue eyes staring at her from afar. She couldn't see their face, she didn't even know if they were male or female, but the feeling of someone staring at the back of her head still made her uncomfortable.

Because she'd been so focused on the unknown eyes she hadn't noticed Alice had found two men to join them. Charlotte groaned, though she had to admit that they both were rather attractive. This is exactly what she expected Alice to do, try to hook her up with some stranger. It didn't matter how good looking or charming they were, she was not going to follow through with Alice's plan.

Giving her friend an aggravated look she turned and went back to the bar. Alice sighed in frustration and followed after her, the two men standing awkwardly on the dance floor before tagging behind.

Alice placed her hand down on the bar counter in front of Charlotte to stop her from heading for the door, "Come _on_ Charlotte, just have some fun."

"This isn't my idea of fun, Alice, you know that."

"Fine, go home and sit all by yourself, sulking about wondering why James left you." Alice retorted harshly, her temper rising, staring Charlotte in the eyes.

Charlotte's face fell at what Alice had just said. Why did she have to bring James up? She knew how sensitive Charlotte was about him. Then again, Charlotte had to think. Maybe it was just her temper rising again, or maybe too much drink?

"You know how I feel about him," She muttered, not letting her face or voice show any emotion.

Alice's eyes softened, knowing how her friend felt though she refused to tell anyone. "Okay, then, come one we'll go home and watch a movie." She put her arm around Charlotte's shoulder more to hold herself up than comfort her.

"Hey, you just going to leave us hanging here?" One of the men said from behind him. Charlotte could tell he was drunk, as he staggered slightly and his words slurred together.

"Yep," Alice said, not turning to face them. "Better luck next time fellas."

Charlotte continued to stare at them, growing more worried every second, but she sent a glare their way. She didn't like the way they were looking at her and Alice, and began walking faster to the front door.

The man's frustration grew, and as they were about to leave, he grasped tightly onto Charlotte's arm, pulling her away from Alice. The other man, the one who had accompanied them, took a hold of Alice, and lead her off somewhere else, out of Charlotte's sights.

Charlotte's head snapped up then, her eyes wide as she stared up at the man, but not for long as his lips pressed roughly against hers. She tried to move her face away from him, pressing her hands against his chest in an attempt to be rid of him. She began crying further, her sadness and desperation unknown to the drunken man before her.

Getting rougher the man pressed her up against a wall, were she was trapped, unable to free herself from her strong grip. She was going to be raped, she just knew it, and her friend was too.

As she was able to free herself from the man for one second she screamed, hoping that someone, _anyone_ would help her. Charlotte was pressed against the wall again, her head thudding against the brick, making her dizzy. But the she saw it, the owner of the blue eyes appearing through the crowd, towards her and the man pressing himself against her.

"Leave her!" They shouted to the man, grasping tightly onto his shoulder and pulling him off of Charlotte. She couldn't tell if were a man or a woman's, but all she knew was that this person was helping her, and she was thankful for it.

"Back off and mind your own business," The man slurred, shoving the person away, turning back to Charlotte. He pressed his lips against hers once again, whacking her head against the brick wall once more.

But this didn't stop the blue-eyed person, as they pushed themselves up from the ground, and placed their hand firmly on his shoulder. "I said, _leave her alone_." The person said more forcefully, pulling the man around to face them. At that moment Charlotte slowly dropped to the floor, her vision failing as her head throbbed a constant rhythm. The feeling of warm liquid at the back of her head was the only thing she was aware of, finding it difficult to focus on anything.

She couldn't make sense of what was going on around her, the sounds blending together to make one large beat, her vision doubling, her limbs going cold and numb as she lay there.

She looked around to find Alice, but she was nowhere in sight. The tears were threatening to fall from her eyes, but even her fetal position her pride would not allow her. She could only worry about her friend silently. The last thing filling her vision was the sight of the two blue eyes before her, their voice panicking as they stared at her limp form.

Then everything went black.

How could this happen to them?

* * *

><p><strong>Ok, so after some good criticism from the lovely <em>Kudomeya<em> I have edited this proplogue in hopes of making it clearer and overall better. Hopefully things are easier to understand, and the small fued between Alice and Charlotte has been gotten rid of. Replaced it with the being the mens' fault only.**

**Tell me what you thought of it guys. I'm eager to see what people think of it so far. Yes, it is somewhat rushed and low quality but I wanted to get it out. I've been buzzing to do this for a while now ever since I lost interest in my other story (_The Lunar Moon_ and _The Knight_, sorry guys D:).**

**But I hope to follow through with this story, but only if people review. If no one shows interest then I lose interest and then it takes me months to get chapters up. So please REVIEW :D**

**CRITICISMS ARE MOST WELCOMED**

**I LOVE YOU ALL ;D**


	2. Chapter 1  Blue Eyes

Flesh Puzzles

Chapter 1 – Blue Eyes

In all honesty, she never expected to awake again. Charlotte thought that was it, her life ended because of some stranger that attempted to rape her and her friend. She thought she had died because of that. But she didn't, and her mind turning on just now confirmed that

Her head throbbed painfully, and as Charlotte brushed her fingers over the wound lightly she could feel the scab, the blood having clotted some time ago.

Charlotte was very uncomfortable at the moment, her head bent forward, resting on her chest, and the feeling of splintering wood digging under her nails. Opening her green eyes she couldn't help but stare in confusion at the area around her, her mind finding it hard to process what was happening. She could she was in a cart of some sort, tightly packed with numerous other people. Dirty people.

Her thin wrists were raw, the skin red sore, threatening to bleed at any moment. They were locked tightly in shackles, just like the people around her.

A fusion of smells drifted into her nostril – the coppery stench of blood, the acidity of vomit, the saltiness of sweat, and excrement. All of them together was enough to make her gag.

Then shaking her head she stared at the man closest to her – he had a scrawny face, with deep circles beneath his muddy brown eye, the small amount of hair on his head greasy and fading, and a constant mask of dirt on his face. The numerous other people who were squeezed in this carriage all seemed to be in similar condition to the man by her side. It made her feel so out of place, so clean. But even then she was wrong, for her clothes and skin were thickly covered in the substances that lined the floor, making her in no better condition than the other people.

Suddenly, the carriage bounced, sending all out its passengers into one another. The carriage itself wasn't that big for the amount of people it held – around seven by three foot – making it a very tight fit for the fifteen people – including Charlotte – within.

Charlotte shook her head free of the dizziness from the jolt of the cart, her senses heightening as she took in everything around her.

The people around her were groaning, crying, moaning or completely silent – she could see no happy faces, no smiles, no grins. Nothing. Just the constant sullen look upon all of their dirty faces, making Charlotte back up into the corner of the carriage to make some distant between herself and them - the emotion that radiated from them sending shivers down her spine.

The carriage bounced once, more violently this time, making the people within clash heads or land into one another. The man beside Charlotte fell into her, his mouth wide open as he screamed. His teeth bit into the flesh of her shoulder as his face collided, causing her to cry out in pain as tears threatened to spill over. The feel of his hot, repulsive breath sent shivers up her spine once more, and his wet, slobbery tongue made the fabric of her shirt dank and sticky. Roughly, no longer caring about being kind she pushed him away, and attempted to bury herself further into the corner of the carriage, splinters of the wood embedding themselves into the lean flesh of her palms.

What was this place? Where was she?

Well, whatever it was, she most certainly didn't want to stay. But she couldn't see out of the moving box, for there were no windows, no bars, nothing.

Charlotte was panicking, her breath quickening, sweat forming on her brow and her chest tightening, the palms of her hands moistening, the heat of the carriage increasing with every minute that went past. She wasn't sure how much longer she could stand being stuck in here, so close to all of these strangers. Charlotte was claustrophobic, and always had been, she wasn't entirely sure why though. Just the idea of being unable to move properly, unable to stretch ones limbs to their full length scared her, terrified her even.

And where was Alice? Charlotte couldn't see her in the cart with her, and she couldn't stop the ideas of what had happened to her drift into her mind.

She couldn't help it, she screamed.

"Help!" But her call went unanswered, blending in with the pleading cries of the other passengers. "Please! Get me out of here!" She began banging on the wooden walls, causing the other passengers to stare and panic further. Her tears, warm and fresh, ran down her cheeks, running through the thick mask of dirt. She thought she was the cleanest here, and she probably was, but still, she was no better than anyone else. Though, she took no notice of this however, for at that moment the carriage came to an abrupt stop, sending Charlotte and the others to jostle forward. Everyone went silent, anticipating what was to come.

Without much warning the door to the right of Charlotte was flung open, causing the three poor women who were leaning against it to topple out, falling to the hard ground in an awkward pile. But they were not given much time to correct themselves as the shackles around their wrists were yanked quickly, bringing them to their feet.

As Charlotte stared in fear at the women they cried out in a language she didn't understand, as they faced the backs of the men who were callously pulling them under a large archway. These men were wearing a dark grey chest plate, golden helmet, bracers and shin guards, black trousers and a thick red tunic underneath. They also had swords strapped to the sides, making Charlotte feel uneasy just looking at them.

A light tug on her shackles signalled that she was up next, as another man dressed in the same attire stood by the carriage door. He had the most striking blue eyes, that seemed almost familiar, but she brushed the thought off as she stepped out. He was kinder than the rest of the guards, she could tell, but her mind kept telling her not to trust him.

As they walked through the archway she couldn't to help but stare at the castle-like structure that appeared before her. It reminded her of fairy-tales and stories her dad would read to her when she was little – knights, castles, princesses and dragons, though, she was pretty sure no dragons would be appearing out of the sky. Then again, if this was all a dream – which it most likely was – then anything is possible really.

But she always remembered that there was something about slaves being mentioned, that was the gist of what she remembered from her history class. But, the way things seemed at the moment, it made her think: Was she one then? If possible, she began to panic further, the guard continuing to pull her, entering the castle itself.

Another question came to her mind, why was she moving so willingly? Shouldn't she be kicking and screaming, shouting some load of rubbish about her human rights or wanting a lawyer? But she didn't, she was too scared to say anything to these men, just the thought of what happened when Alice spoke back in that bar made Charlotte wince at the memory.

They were then taken up a large flight of stone stairs, to walk through a long hall of holding cells, filled a maximum of six people, men and women kept separately. As they arrived at an empty cell, the three women in front of her were pushed in roughly, Charlotte following them in.

She looked back at the guard that had escorted her, and she almost missed the wink her gave her, his chocolate brown eyes bright and full of life. It wasn't a sexual wink, more like one to show trust, as if he was planning something…

But she was pulled out of her thoughts as the cell door was slammed closed, leaving her, and five other women in the darkness of the stone cell. As she entered she tripped and fell, catching herself before her face collided with the ground. She pushed herself up, leaning against the brick wall of the cell, letting out an uneasy sigh.

Her quick breathing was sensed by the woman next to her. The woman, with dark red hair, and a pair of gentle hazel eyes, gazed at Charlotte kindly, and placed a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Charlotte stared at the woman before taking one deep breath, releasing a large sigh. Slowly, she locked eye contact with the woman.

"Eleri," The woman said bluntly, her voice light, soft, and Italian accent present.

Charlotte then realised the woman must have been saying her name, "C-charlotte," She stuttered in reply, fear still evident in her voice.

She smiled, "_Carina._ _Molto carina,_" Her hazel eyes brightened at the prospect of a friend. She began speaking quickly, in a dialect unknown to Charlotte.

She shook her head then, trying to tell the woman she didn't understand her. After a few moments Eleri realised, her face falling slightly. Silence then hung between them.

The silence exchanged between the two women continued on for hours, and Charlotte quickly lost track of time, unsure whether it had been days, months, or years. She couldn't really tell.

Her stomach growled angrily at the lack of food, her throat running dry from dehydration. The cells stank now, the odour increasing every day, for the amount of urine and other bodily fluids where building up, as no one had left since Charlotte had arrived.

Surely someone would have noticed her disappearance, right? Alice must be worried about her…

Alice.

Charlotte had completely forgotten about what had happened, to overwhelmed by everything that was happening to really think about much else. In amongst this whole mess, she had forgotten about her best friend. _I hope she's alright, please, please, be alright. _She said to herself, the memories of the other night flooding into her mind. And here she was, stuck in a cell, in a foreign place, certain she was being illegally forced into slavery and pretty sure she was going to die for real, when she should be out there, trying to find Alice.

She was pulled out of her thoughts as guards began to pile into the room, opening cells and roughly pulling the prisoners out. The cell she was sitting in was opened, and the four other women were pulled out before her, as she had made sure she was as far away from the door when she was put in. One guard came forward, straight towards her, being ignored by the others. He gently tugged onto the shackles, signalling for her to stand. She recognised his light touch, the way his vibrant blue eyes stared at her gently, comforting in a way, holding no anger or sadistic pleasure unlike the others.

Blue eyes.

She stood up, staring into them the whole time - there was something compulsive about them, and although she knew was most likely leading her to her eventual death, she couldn't help but trust him. They tagged along behind the others, and she continued to stare at him from behind, watching as he glanced behind them every now and then. The guards in front of them turned a corner, and the guard that held onto her shackles had come to a stop, turning to face her and placing a finger to his lips, signalling her to stay silent. They were all alone, for they were the last to leave the cells, and this was obviously the reason why. She couldn't stop the ideas from flooding into her mind. What was he going to do to her? That was the general thought that lingered in her mind.

She was ready to scream, but the guard had noticed this in an instant, and clamped a gloved hand over her mouth, tugging her over to a window, down a secluded corridor, hidden from any passing guards. He unhooked the clasp of the window, swinging open the glass to reveal the roof tops of houses, the sight running on for miles. He looked out the window, and nodded in satisfaction. The guard turned back to Charlotte, smirking while doing so.

She didn't like the look of that smirk one bit, and so began backing away. But she didn't get very far as he picked her up bridal style and chucked her out of the window. She screamed all of the way down, cursing to herself, expecting her life to flash before her eyes as she plummeted to her death, accompanied by the shattering of bones and the puncturing of lungs. Not to mention a tremendous headache. But, her screams were cut off as she landed on the ground, much softer than she expected, but the feeling of prickling in her back.

She tried to open her eyes, but a multitude of tiny little yellow sticks prodded them, causing her to instantly shut them in pain. She was in a bale of hay…

Suddenly remembering what had just conspired she pushed herself up from the pile with much effort, her limbs weak from the lack of nutrients. As she crawled away from the bale of hay she sat against a wall for support, noticing that she was now in a dead-end alley, right beside the castle-like structure from hence she came. Or fell from - or out of - it was all the same really. The cobbled ground was dry, tiny pieces of dirt sticking to her palms, now seating from anxiety.

Charlotte began to crawl to the opening of the alley, but the sound of a loud thump, followed by rustling caused her to stop, and slowly turn her head to the sound, staring at the bale of hay. _He didn't, did he?_

Then she saw his head popping out of the dry grass, the golden helmet now removed, revealing a mop of messy, dirty blonde hair. He smirked at her once again, his lightly scarred face covered in hay that refused to let go.

"Crap," She muttered to herself before turning and trying to crawl faster. It was pathetic, much like a slug try to beat a cheetah in a race, and it was fairly obvious who the slug in this scenario was.

"_Signorina_," He said kindly, scooping her up into his muscular arms without much effort, apart from her kicking her legs out to make the man drop her. Then she began to rethink that, she didn't really want to fall to the ground again, even if it were only around four foot this time. "I see my little _Gazza_ is trying to run off without me. I feel insulted that such a lady as you does not believe in one as noble as I." He murmured, his deep voice laced with an Italian accent.

Another Italian person, I'm starting to see a trend here. Charlotte thought to herself, staring up at his blue eyes. "You speak English?" She questioned, forgetting for the moment that he was clutching her tightly to his chest.

"Yes, I am speaking English, no?" He replied, a slightly confused look coming to his face.

"But, aren't you Italian?" She replied, her voice coarse from being so dry. "And put me down!"

He smirked as she tried to wriggle her way out of his arms once again, only to stop after a matter of moments. "Well,_Signorina_, you certainly do smell unpleasant, but I see a pretty face beneath all of that dirt, and I am obligated to protect it."

She raised her brow; he was obviously used to women swarming around him because of his good looks and charms. "Protect me? Who in the world told you to protect me? I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself, thank you very much." She retorted, pouting. "Hey, Chuckles, didn't I tell you to put me down?"

"The person you are to meet - _Capitano_ Verde - that is who ordered me to protect you." He laid her down against the brick wall. Charlotte then noticed his change in attire; he must have removed the armour before jumping to the ground. He was wearing a deep red, hooded robe, a large belt around his mid-waist, a large metal plate in the centre, engraved with a feather on it. A black sash was attached underneath the belt, a long piece falling down to rest between his legs. A pair of dark brown pants could be seen under the tail of the robe, tucked into a pair of dark boots. As she looked closer she could then see all of the straps around him, connecting to sheathes, all holding daggers, short swords, and then a long sword strapped to his side, a crossbow clinging to his back.

He noticed her staring at him, and smirked down at her, pulling up a scarf around his face to conceal his features, along with the hood of the robe. "Wait here, _Signorina_, while I go get us a horse." As he finished speaking he turned back to the entrance of the alley, disappearing as he exited it.

"A horse? Who the heck uses horses these days for transport?" Charlotte said to herself, staring at the area where the hooded man had disappeared off to, "And stay here? Where else in the world am I going to go? I'm not a walking GPS for crying out loud, I'm not going anywhere. Then again, maybe he wants to cut my feet off and feed them to this Captain that he speaks off. A bit nasty but it's what I'd expect from a super villain who kidnaps unsuspecting girls."

Then her mind began to properly think, back to what she had once learned in her RME class (Religious and Moral Education). From what she remembered there had been a few stories on trafficking, quite often happening to young girls, who were taken to completely other countries, sold and then forced into work, most often in a brothel as she had gathered. Now, if she thought about it enough, this was very much like one of those cases had been described. She had to get out of here.

She stood up on shaky legs, making her way to the entrance, leaning against the wall for support. As she came into the open she could see people passing her without much thought. They were all dressed in something you'd expect in a drama studio, the old historical clothes. People wearing dresses that reached their ankles, men wearing loose tunics, some with hats and other men even dressed in tights. It was a strange sight indeed to Charlotte; surely people in Italy wore clothes just like in the western world? _It just seems strange, but then again, what do I know?_

She began walking out into the crowd, disappearing in a large group that was moving one way. She decided to follow them, not knowing what to do. As they continued walking she saw more of those guards from the castle, and even more with larger weapons and thicker armour. She just hoped they didn't recognise her, and she doubted they would anyway. There were around fifty people in those cells, and she found it hard to believe that they would be searching for one person, no one would care about some measly girl, would they?

She strayed away from the group, going to sit down on an empty bench beside the wall of a house, her legs still stiff and weak. She looked down at her clothes in disgust, noticing they were covered in a thick layer of something, and she was sure she'd be happier not knowing what. The only things she could probably use again were her boots, seeing as how she could just rinse them under some water. But for the rest of her clothes, she would have to destroy them.

Along with smelling rather foul she felt completely out of place too, she couldn't speak the language, her attire seemed a few centuries ahead of everyone else's, and there didn't seem to be one phone. Not even_ one_.

As she looked around the area she could see a group of women, dressed in corsets that almost completely revealed their breasts, the front of their floor length skirts cut mid-thigh to show off the majority of their legs. They were crowded around a man, holding onto his arms seductively, giving him sensual looks as they ran their hands over his body. They were giggling, as they began following him into a house, closing the door from passing eyes.

_Whores_, Charlotte thought to herself with disgust. She didn't understand why people were so obsessed with sex, and she didn't understand why they were so open with it.

Charlotte kept staring up at the horses that passed her, expecting one familiar hooded figure to arrive. Not that she wanted him to find her, she was just was anxious, that's all. Then all of a sudden a black gelding(1) was trotting up to her, making people give the rider a dirty look as they were pushed around by its strong legs. Charlotte suspected who this was, though she couldn't see the person, only the face of the horse as it tugged at its reins.

Then his voice rang clear from the back of the black creature, "_Signorina_, there you are, I told you not to stray, someone may have taken advantage of you in that state." He turned the horse so he was looking down at her, and as she stared up at those blue eyes, she could see genuine concern. It made her feel slightly guilty.

But she was quick to cover it up, giving him a strong glare, "Why would I wait for you? I don't even know you, and you just expect me to follow you, let you take me wherever you please? I don't think so, _buddy_." She sneered.

"I'm not going to harm you, I'm going to take you somewhere safe, I promise." He replied.

"I don't believe in promises," She retorted.

With a sigh he stretched his hand out, "I do, and I never intend to break one anytime soon." When she didn't take his hand he continued, "Look, if you don't like the place, fine, leave - but it is my duty to make sure that you get there and I would prefer you went willingly."

She turned away from him for a second, arms crossed over her chest defensively, but with a sigh she gave him her right hand, still in the pair of shackles. "This place had better be good; otherwise I'll have your head on a plate. Got it?"

He lowered his scarf to reveal a smirk, pulling her up onto the saddle behind him. "I will not disappoint you, _il__mio__uccelino_."

**Okay, sorry it took me so long to update this. Originally it was going to be a lot longer but I thought that I may as well just update. I did intend to get this done by last week, but a family friend died, and my mother just back from the hospice, so I've been spending time with her. And I've just lost track of time, seeing as how I also have my exams in a week. But, enough with the excuses, here it it!**

– **A gelding is a castrated male horse. **

**Translations:**

**Signorina - Miss**

**Gazza – Magpie**

**Il mio uccelino – my (little) bird**


	3. Chapter 2 Like the Birds of a Feather

Flesh Puzzles

Chapter 2 – Like Birds of a Feather

She swung her arms over his head, so that her shackled hands clutched onto his waist. Hesitantly, she gripped harder, not liking the close proximity one bit. Letting out a rough sigh she tried to look over his shoulder.

With a kick in the ribs to the horse they were sent off down the streets in a trot, apparently in the direction of this "Captain" that the man spoke of. Curiosity getting the better of her she spoke up, "Who is this captain that you speak of?" She murmured trying to strike a conversation up with the man.

The man pursed his lips, "_Capitano _is a very well respected woman, and you should not try to defy her. The outcome can be... well, not enjoyable to say the least. She doesn't take kindly to arrogant, disrespectful people, and most of all people who think of themselves better than her." He warned her.

"Yes, but if she does try to do something, you will protect me won't you?" She said to him, trying to look at his face.

"I cannot do anything if you anger her, I have no authority over Capitano Vaude, and therefore I have very little chance of protecting you if such an occasion should arise."

"But you can't just leave me in the gutter to this Captain just because you 'have no authority'. I'm putting my trust into you not to ditch me" Charlotte said.

He let out a sigh, but never replied, and the silence continued on for the rest of the ride. To pass the time she just stared at the passing scenery, taking in the people, the houses, the ground everything, for there was nothing really to do. She didn't know how long it took, but all she knew was that they had left the city they were in before, and were now entering another. The houses here were smaller, but prettier in a way, and the buildings here were not as large as the ones in the previous city, but they were in much better quality, cleaner and newer. It was dark now, the stars twinkling in the night sky, as if ruling over the black plain.

"Ah," The man murmured, bringing the horse to a standstill. "Here we are, _Signorina_, the _Spada Fiammeggiante_ restaurant." The white building was large, very large in fact. Stretching right across a grassy hillside of which it was built into. It could have passed for a fancy hotel just from the size of it. Charlotte could see numerous windows around the walls, some with balconies others without. It was a beautiful place, but no smells could be found drifting from it like she expected, obviously because it was so late at night. The man pulled Charlotte's hands over his head, and jumped down off of the horse, pulling her down a moment later. He had his hand circled around her waist, more to keep her from falling than anything else.

"Oi, hands off the merchandise buddy," She snapped, and he let go slowly, watching as her legs wobbled slightly. "I can handle myself just fine."

He raised his hands, and then went for the front door, swinging it open to reveal the interior of the restaurant. It was a very large room, with two staircases going up on either side of it. The main floor was the dining area, as far as Charlotte could see from the numerous tables scattered around the floor, all of the chairs turned upside down and resting on top of the surface of the tables. The carpet was a lush scarlet, the walls a calming cream. She could also see on the landing of the second floor from the stairs there was a long hall, which disappeared down to the right, doors lining the walls. Under the landing was a bar area, where she assumed the orders were taken out and served, and behind of which led into the kitchen.

Charlotte couldn't help but stare at the place in wonder, and somewhat unease: she was still in unknown territory.

"Ah, Dante, you have finally returned with the child." A woman with a strong Italian accent said, walking out of one of the many doors from above the stairs. She was dressed not too dissimilar to the hooded man, but a long white cloak was draped over the other garments and weapons, the tail dragging on the ground behind her. As she walked down the steps she stared in hidden curiosity at Charlotte, pulling down her hood to reveal her features. She had a pair of icy blue eyes, void of emotion, and a mane of feathery black hair. As Charlotte looked closer she could see numerous subtle scars that lined her features, a more prominent one just around her left eye, making a crescent shape from her cheekbone all of the way to her brow.

Charlotte couldn't help but raise her brow, "Child? Hey lady, I ain't a thumb-sucking toddler, I have boobs for crying out loud."

The woman smirked, but the iciness in her eyes remained. There was no humour in those features, "Maybe not physically, but you certainly act like one."

"And you sound like an old hag," Charlotte retorted, arrogant as usual.

The woman raised her chin, staring down at Charlotte, her gaze scrutinizing. "I would watch your tongue _child_, if you wish for me to stay my blade." She replied sharply, giving Charlotte a dirty look.

Charlotte couldn't help but glare back, her pride getting the better of her. "What do you want with me?"

"I want you to work for me, become one of my pawns in this game of chess. I want you to learn from my other recruits, become one with them, and become them." She walked around Charlotte, staring down at her thin from. "I want you to learn your place in the world, to learn who it is you answer to. Who it is your are to fight, and what it is that is right."

"What if I don't want to be one of your pawns? I'm not going to do as you please just because your lackey got me out of a cell." Charlotte's confidence was growing with every word that left her mouth, though in truth she was only digging herself into an even deeper hole. She was not going to submit to some scarred hag just because she brought her here.

If possible, the woman's glare intensified, "You do not get a choice. Try to run, I'll find you. Try to harm me or any of my men, and I will kill you. Spread word of this place, and your existence will be no more. Try anything, and I will always, _always_ better you. You have no decision in this matter." She retorted.

If any normal person with even a little bit of common sense was staring back at this woman right now they would have probably coward away in fear, begging, pleading for her not to harm them. But Charlotte didn't do this, her pride and ignorance too strong to feel the intensity of the gaze. She was being stupid.

"So, you're going to make me? I'd like to see that happen," Charlotte sneered up at the woman.

The cloaked woman gave one look to Dante, who was standing just behind Charlotte, watching the feud with worry and concern. He knew what happened to the previous people who refused to join, and there was something about this girl that made him want to protect her from harm: much like a brother to his sister. He didn't know why though, they had only just met.

The woman snapped her fingers, and suddenly – yet hesitantly – Dante wrapped his arms around Charlotte. "Consider it done, _Corvino_. I will make you one of us; I will break you down piece by piece, until you beg to become mine. Dante, take her to then branding room, then find Farro, and bring him. I will meet you there." With that she disappeared up the stairs, walking down the hall, out of sight.

Charlotte tried to pry Dante's strong hands off of her, but to no avail as he pulled her up the stairs.

"You promised you'd take me somewhere safe. You promised!" She shouted at him, her anger flaring to life. Why had she trusted him so willingly? Now God only knew what was going to happen to her, all because of him. "You broke your promise!"

He dipped his head, his features hidden by the shadow that was cast over them. She never heard the faint hint of regret in his voice, "I know _mia bella_, I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>She was sitting on the floor, the shackles from day ago still wrapped around her wrists as she lay there limply. Charlotte was sitting in a dark room, the only light source the pathetic flames that danced on the wood in the fireplace, casting a gloomy light upon her sullen features. The room had a stone floor and walls, a long wooden table on one side of the room with leather binds attached to it, which she did not like look of at all. Feebly, she got up onto her feet, but didn't bother walking over to the thick wooden door, knowing instantly that it was locked. Dante had left long ago, she was alone, and it scared her more than anything. She hated the isolation, nothing good ever came from it, just fear and depression.<p>

But the door suddenly swung open, revealing the white cloaked woman, and a man behind her. He was dressed similar to Dante, with obvious customisations made to it.

Charlotte gave the woman a scowl, yet held her head high. The woman stood behind her, and motioned for the man to step forward. "Now," She whispered, just loud enough for Charlotte to hear, her Italian accent strong. "You are going to learn your place, learn some respect for your Captain and you will become one of us, whether you like it or not."

The man stepped forward, and handed a long, thin knife to the woman.

She stepped around Charlotte, "Now, where did you come from?" She flipped the knife in her hand.

Charlotte gave her a confused look, stepping away from her, trying to make some distance between them, "What?"

"Tell me where you came from, what country." She replied, running the knife along Charlotte's face she almost never noticed it.

Charlotte hissed in pain, clutching at it, feeling a small trickle of blood seep through her fingers. "Why do you care?"

"Tell me," She said more forcefully this time, slicing the knife across Charlotte's face again.

Charlotte ground her teeth, but wouldn't let herself fall, wanting to stand her ground, "Scotland," She muttered.

The woman circled her, boring her eyes into Charlotte's, "What year?"

Charlotte gave her another confused look, "Wha-"

"What year, child!" She snapped, slicing the blade across Charlotte's neck, leaving a shallow wound.

"2012!"Charlotte gasped. She hated herself so much for giving up so easily, but reason told her holding her words for longer would do no good, just bring more unnecessary pain.

The man moved from the door at that moment, moving over to the fire picking up a long iron with a shape at the end of it. He dropped the end in, watching as the metal turned orange and began to glow. Charlotte paid no mind to it, simply thinking that he was trying to heat up the room. It was a little chilly after all.

The woman stepped forward, causing Charlotte to back up into the wall. She wrapped a hand around her neck, tight enough to make Charlotte panic. The hooded woman pressed the blade to Charlotte's neck, ready to pierce the skin. "Vow that you will become one of my recruits, that you will follow every one of my commands and will never speak back or question me again. Vow that you will give your life to this cause and that you will protect its secret and its people at any cost."

Charlotte ground her teeth together. Sure, she had given up two things – pointless things – so easily, but to join some cult? No, her stubbornness, pride and general common sense would not let her commit to something like this so easily. "In your dreams," She spat.

The dark haired woman let out an irritated sigh, and turned to the man, speaking in Italian quickly.

The man – Farro as Charlotte had come to believe – stepped forward, and the woman moved out of the way as he grabbed Charlotte, and dragged her over to the table. She kicked her legs, trying to get away from him, but he bound her legs to the table, and then bound her shackled hands above her head. Once she was bound – fighting against them though, tugging at them in an attempt to free herself – he took another knife in his hand, ripping the fabric of her shirt, leaving her in her bra. She stared down at him, eyes widening in fear and embarrassment. He then picked up the hot iron, and then slowly placed it on her side, burning the once flawless skin.

Charlotte screamed as the pain rattled through her body – it was the most she had ever experienced.

"Vow to me, child. **Now**" The woman repeated as she walked over to the table, roughly grabbing Charlotte's chin, turning it to face her. Charlotte wanted to cry. Here she was, in a place she didn't know, with people she'd never met, being tortured into some cult she wanted nothing to do with. Letting go of her pride, only wanting to stay alive – for she had no idea what they would do next - she nodded weakly.

The woman nodded in satisfaction, "Good" She let go of Charlotte's face and stepped away. Charlotte expected the man to stop, but he never did, he just continued to burn away her side with the iron, ignoring the whimpers that left the green eyed girl's mouth.

"You will now be referred to as Estelle Carello. You will forget your previous name, the people once knew, and everything that happened to you in your life before now. I am Nilda Verde, I am an assassin, and I am your Captain." The white cloaked woman said, giving the brunette a harsh glare, though, a cold, callous smirk spread across her face. "Welcome to Renaissance Italy, little _Corvino._"

* * *

><p>Estelle – once known as Charlotte – stared at the mirror before her, looking at her side as she stood there in a pair of brown trousers and a thick red brassiere, her stomach bare and uncovered, visible in the mirror. She ran a hand over the intricate white scar, remembering the day she got it. It was three years ago, but the memories were still as fresh as the night she experienced them. The scar was a branding, making her feel much like livestock. It was a Celtic cross, burned into her side, the skin was an angry red for weeks after she had go it, but it had now cooled down into a silver, looking more like a light tattoo. As much as she hated to say it, she actually came to love her job. She was something of an assassin, thief, killer – <em>whatever<em> - she had been called many by the people who resided within the city, even _demon_ on more than one occasion. Estelle never thought she'd enjoy killing someone, but there was a quality to it, the knowing that there was one less bad person in the world. It was also good anger management, not that she'd recommend it to anyone. It still was murder after all.

Letting out a deep breath she grabbed the ebony hooded tunic off of the bed, pulling the thick material over her head, the cloth clinging tightly to her thin, athletic frame. She then fastened the hooks of the red and black striped, underbust bodice over the tunic, stopping just above her hips. Picking up two leather bands she fastened them around the top of her arms, then another two around each calf, - once she had her boots on - slots for knives on either side. Finally she fastened her sheathe to her side, making sure it was firmly place, then slipped the two butterfly swords(1) into it. She had taken them from a foreign mercenary over two years ago, and had come accustomed to using them in place of a broadsword or dagger like many of the other people in the Order – the large group of assassins that Nilda was the Captain of.

Estelle walked over to the far end of the room; she pulled open the curtains, and then tied her hair up into a pony tail, the chocolate strands caressing the small of her back. The sun was rising up in the sky, signalling it was early in the day, around seven in the morning. The sun was casting a warm glow over the city of Florence, making Ravenna's chest swell up in adoration at its beauty. She opened the large doors to the side of the windows that led onto the balcony, resting against the wrought iron railing. The birds were beginning to chirp their soulful tunes, greeting the waking world with their song. As the sun glinted on her face, the lone scar along her jaw it almost glowed, turning silver in the light. Turning away from the balcony, closing the doors on her way she picked up her numerous knives, slipping them into their positions scattered over her body. Stepping out of her room she grabbed her pouch of money, heading down the hall to the restaurant area of the building.

Bouncing down the steps she nodded to a select few people as she passed them, yet there was no hint of a smile on her face, until she spotted one blonde woman sitting at her usual table. As Estelle came over to her, sitting down opposite the woman, her head snapped up, her wavy hair falling off of her shoulders. Her face brightened up at the sight of the brunette, "Hey Estelle, you're looking rather chipper today." She said in Italian – which Estelle spoke at all times now – though her voice held a faint hint of an American accent.

Estelle stared at her friend before grabbing a bread roll from the basket on the table, spreading jam on it before taking a large bite. "Really? I feel very much the same as any other day."

The blonde shrugged her shoulders, turning her head back down to the pile of parchment before her. "Nilda has an assignment for you. You've to go out and interrogate one of our own, see if he holds his tongue like he should. Kill him if he fails this test,"

Estelle let out a low sigh, "That'll be another one of our recruits dead then; they are all so weak these days."

The blonde's head rose, "They simply fear for their lives, the majority of the new recruits are very young, just like you were, if you remember."

"Yes, Santa, I was young, but at least once I learned my lesson I did not falter ever again. We just seem to be getting more and more cowards these days, that's all I'm saying."

"Yes, but Estelle, you're as stubborn as a mule, once you believe in something you never let it go. It's rather annoying actually," Santa said in good humour, a sly grin spreading across her face as she stared over at her green-eyed friend. "You haven't seen Dante lately have you?"

Estelle shrugged her shoulders, "I thought he escorted Nilda to Rome two weeks ago? I haven't seen him since then."

Santa pursed her lips, "You don't think something has happened to them?"

Estelle could see the concern in the blonde's grey eyes, "Its politics Santa, they'll be down one another's throats all day on something as simple as how burnt, toast should be. I wouldn't worry about anything."

"I guess you're right" Santa sighed, "But I just worry about him so much, you know?"

Estelle couldn't help but snort, "Of course, the whole Order knows."

A slightly frightened look came to Santa's face, a blush creeping onto her cheeks. She ducked her head down back into the pile of parchment in attempt to hide her colouring face. Estelle smiled at the sight, but didn't comment as to save her friend from further embarrassment. After being given the information she needed on the recruit she left, heading out the front door of the restaurant. The streets of Florence were beginning to awake, people stretching out of their beds onto the cobbled pavements, tending to their washing, flowers, and many readying their shops for opening times. Estelle couldn't help but feel happy, for the world that she now lived in was so simple, so unique and unlike any other place she had lived in. So_ innocent._ Well, maybe innocent wasn't the right word, for robberies, murders and fraud still lingered in this Italian town. Murder, was definitely something that occurred on a daily basis, and Estelle had come to accept that, for she was a part of it. She killed for a living – trained people to do it too – following Nilda's orders. But she had come to believe that she was doing it for the right cause, ridding the world of people who intend to harm it.

She expected that she had around three hours till her target – Luca Salvati – appeared in the market place just as Santa had said. Apparently the man – who was in his late teens – liked to go there on his day off and usually arrived at about eleven in the morning. Estelle had never met him, and that was the main reason for her doing this assignment, so that he would not recognise her as one of his comrades. But, Santa said that he was not from Italy, like many of the people working for the Order, obviously from a far off land.

Grabbing an apple off of a stand, flinging a few coins on the wooden stall as she passed, she appeared in the empty market place, only a few people wandering along with the early guard shift

So, as Estelle wandered through the streets she decided she would pass the time by riding along the rooftops, doing some climbing or even just wandering around the shops once they were opened. She was going to be waiting a while after all. With a look around to check that no one was watching her she gripped onto the first thing she could find on the wall, and continued to pull herself up the brick work till she reached the top. Looking out over the buildings she could see a much larger one far away, a cathedral she had come to learn. Lazily looking away from the architecture she began walking along the tiled surface of the houses, watching as the birds flew past her with the lightest touch of their wings. A lone feather drifted down, landing right before her feet, the whiteness gleaming in the light. Estelle picked it up gently, lightly running her fingers over the strands. Staring down at it she slipped it in between her bodice and the tunic, disappearing between the two.

Staring up at the sun Estelle would have guessed it had been something around four hours now, making it twelve in the afternoon. With her legs hanging over the side of the house, the owner shouting at her to move away she just stared out at the world before her in boredom. She had just been sitting around for hours, just waiting for this Luca character to show up. He still hadn't arrived, as she had checked multiple times over the last few hours, and it was starting to irritate her. She was beginning to get the thought that he wasn't going to appear at all, that she wouldn't find him where she was told he would be. To say the least, it irked her.

Ignoring the screaming housewife below she continued to swing her legs back and forth, placing her hands behind her and leaning into them. Estelle turned her head to the heavens, revelling in the sunlight, letting the warmth cover her skin. Licking her lips to rid them of the dryness she closed her eyes, trying to relax somewhat before she had to move again.

Then, the sound of someone running along the rooftops caught her attention, causing her to snap her head in their direction, swiftly standing up and placing a hand on the hilt of one of her swords. As Estelle scanned over the rooftops she saw a boy, around three or more years younger than her, running over the tiled surfaces, looking for something. She then spotted the white feathers clutched in his hand, firmly yet delicately. Her other hand subconsciously went to the feather that was tucked in her clothes. He stopped when he saw her, sparing a glance down the length of her body. She ignored his look, used to it by now due to the numerous other men who chose to stare at her tight fitting attire.

The boy – or man some would argue – had a hair of shoulder length brown hair, a few shades darker than Estelle's, tied back in a loose ponytail. He had a pair of brown eyes, and his skin was lightly tanned. Estelle would say that he was good looking, but that's if she cared enough to notice. She was just too wary of him to take in his appearance, though that didn't stop him from looking her over, particularly at the knives strapped to her arms and legs, then the sheathe at her side, her hand hovering over the hilt.

He sent a cocky grin her way, stopping where he was, "What an unusual place to meet such a beautiful woman."

Estelle sent one of her signature glares his way, not trusting the stranger one bit, "What a strange place to meet a twat such as you. What are you doing up here?"

He smirked at her, "I could ask you the same thing _Signora_,"

"I am simply enjoying the view, waiting for someone to appear" She replied circling him slowly, narrowing her eyes at his form. "I'll ask you again, what are you doing up here?" She questioned. She was beginning to doubt he was an assassin or guard, considering he had no weapons of any kind on his person. And the guards were on her side after all, so it left him being a thief, though why he had feathers in his hand she had no clue. Fetish maybe?

"I am collecting feathers for my little brother, he will not return to bed until I retrieve three of them." He replied, still staring at her face, his eyes running over the barely visible, long scar on her jaw – it was hard to see due to the distance between them.

Estelle gave him a calculating gaze, and with swift movements she removed her own feather from her clothing, holding it in her right hand, in clear view. She held it between her index and middle finger, much like how one would hold a cigarette. Waving it around lightly she spoke, "Is this what you are looking for?" She didn't smile though, continuing to give him a harsh glare. He stared at the feather, and made a move to take it from her. She pulled it away from him, clicking her tongue whilst doing so. "Manners, little man, learn them while you are young a teething, much like a baby."

His grin faded, "Please, Signora, pass the feather to me if you will. It would mean very much to me," She raised her head, letting the tiniest hint of a callous smirk come to her face. She handed him the feather, gently letting it land in his open palm. "Thank you, _Signora_, it will mean much to my younger brother." Shrugging her shoulders, Estelle turned away, though her senses were still on edge; ready to head for the market place once again. As she was about to jump down his voice rang clear, stopping her in her tracks at that moment. "Do I not even get your name?"

She turned her head over her shoulder staring at him half-heartedly, "What use would it be to a man like you?" Estelle knew exactly what kind of man he was – a player, a ladies' man, one who cared little for the hearts of those he slept with, not to mention their names. She didn't wait for an answer, pulling her hood up over her head and jumping down to the nearest ledge, making her way down to the pavement. As she came to the bottom she breathed in a big breath, the previous encounter being swiped from her mind in an instant. "Now, to find Salvati"

* * *

><p>"Who are you working for!" Estelle shouted to the man, pressing the blade of a knife against his throat threateningly. He was a boy in his late teens, with shoulder length dark hair and a pair of striking hazel eyes with dark tanned skin, and he was staring up at her in fear.<p>

He whimpered, "I do not work for anyone!" He answered. Luca was shaking, and he had every right to be, for the way that this woman was looking at him with a malicious glare would have scared any person in this position.

To continue this facade of hers she quickly sliced her knife across his cheek, leaving a shallow wound. "I do not believe you. Now tell me!" Still he refused to answer, and this surprised Estelle slightly, though, if she were allowed to harm him to within an inch of his life she was sure things would change. Then again, Santa never said that she was not allowed to do such. Suddenly at the thought, a manic grin spread across her face, and sheathing one of her short swords she wedged it into his right shoulder. He gritted his teeth together, but still did not give out any information. "Are you really willing to give your life for some pathetic name? Would you not rather just tell me now and live for the rest of your life? Get married to that pretty little baker and have a family, get a dog and buy a measly house?"

Luca continued to grit his teeth together, holding his tongue, pleasantly surprising Estelle. "What would be the point in living if I can have no life with her?"

Estelle stopped slightly. He was telling the truth, no one in the Order was given right to marry, to have children or even have their own home. It just wasn't allowed, Nilda forbid any kind of relationship outside of the Order. That was the main reason Estelle had grown so anti-social, so manic and cruel - more so than she was already - over the years. She had never been given the chance to get over things, to have any of her worries seized, to learn if Alice survived that night. Estelle's thoughts had been scattered for the past three years, her emotions being forced out of her, part of her training in becoming a successful assassin. There was no need for emotions, as they just hindered her from doing was she was supposed to, sometimes even causing her to fail in her mission. So the solution? Just rid her them altogether, problem solved.

Shaking her head to rid herself of any unwanted emotions, Estelle stepped back, giving him more room. Salvati obviously was not going to spill the beans, so she spared him any more pain, roughly pulling the sword from his shoulder, blood splashing onto her clothes, though it was hard to notice due to the colour of them. She grabbed his hand and made him press it against the wound, stopping the blood from flowing, "Keep the pressure on it, go to a doctor to make sure it does not get infected."

She was ready to walk away, placing her blade back in it's sheathe. "Is that it? You're not going to kill me?" The man called from behind her, an exasperated expression upon his face. "What was the whole point in that? You got nothing out of me yet you allow me to live?"

She stopped, and turned to face him. "I was only to kill you if you said anything of the Order or Nilda Verde. You have passed your test, but be expecting many more in the near future." She murmured.

Suddenly, it dawned on him, "You are one of the Order? Why are you interrogating me then? Was there really any need to hurt me like you did?"

She was about to speak but then came at a loss for words, "Yes...I was simply following orders, to mimic a real life interrogation, to see if you would betray us like so many have done before you. But you didn't..."

"Following orders? Like a little mutt, expecting to get a treat at the end of every trick you have been taught."

"I only do such because I have nothing left, because if I do not I will die" She replied to him, trying to defend herself. She was correct after all, right?"

"I do this for exactly the same thing, because I can never _have_ anything besides them. Do you not even question them? Not even wonder why you are to kill these people, what they have done wrong to deserve to die?"

There was a long pause exchanged between the two, and Estelle turned back, ready to leave Luca there bleeding, "No, I haven't." She disappeared then, walking out into the busy street, blending in with the crowd, out of sight within a few moments.

* * *

><p><strong>Yay. Second chapter. Woo. Anyways, hope this was good enough for you guys. But if you see any faults, are confused by anything, or just generally please review. It means so much to me, along with the alerts I've been getting. :D<strong>

**So, I've decided the most likely case is that I can update this every two weeks, which gives me time to write the chapter, proof read, get information for certain parts and begin writing the next chapter. So don't expect updates out of that time period. : )**

**[1] – Butterfly swords are one edged blades, often carried in a pair. They originate from south china and are best for close combat.**


	4. Chapter 3 Snape

Flesh Puzzles

Chapter 3 - Snape

Two weeks later Estelle was sitting on the rooftops late on in the evening, the sky turning into an ebony plain, waiting for her latest target to appear. The basic description of him she had been given described him wearing a set of white robes, with a large insignia of his front. Presumably wearing a hood often, she guessed he wouldn't be too hard to find amongst all of the greys and browns of the other citizens. Pulling her own hood up she leaped across the rooftops, sprinting from platform to platform, searching for that specified white speck amongst the crowds.

Then she found him, walking speedily through the bustling throng, heading in a particular direction, most likely to meet someone she presumed. Estelle narrowed her eyes at the man, and continued to follow him from above, waiting for him to split from the crowds. He eventually did, heading down a street where very few people were stationed in: it was most likely a short cut. She took this time to make a move.

The wind whistled in her ears as she bounced across the rooftops silently, her senses heightening, waiting for her time to strike. Taking now as her chance Estelle sheathed a dagger from one of her bands, then without a moment's hesitation threw it down to the ground, straight for the man's head.

But the blade flew right past him, as he moved out of the way at the last second, letting the small blade clatter to the ground. He looked around at where the blade had been thrown from, circling around to find the source. He looked up at the rooftops to find the figure in black, standing almost completely invisible against the darkness of the night, the only thing making it visible was the light from the moon. He then advanced for her, running the distance till he reached the wall, making his way up to the roof.

Estelle began to panic, but put it aside for the time being. She had a job to finish after all, and she would not fail. So, as he made his way onto the rooftop she sheathed a long dagger from the belt on her calf, holding it in her right hand. The white hooded man leaped up before her, sheathing the only weapon he had: a hidden blade.

She almost laughed at this: did he honestly run straight to her only with a tiny blade as his defence? He must be crazy, for she knew that this could only end one way. So, she waited for him to make the first move, and so he did, swinging out a fist, which she dodged with ease. Estelle spun, letting the blade slice across his chest, making a shallow cut. He stumbled, but didn't falter, getting a strong punch straight into her stomach, getting ready to push his hidden blade into the flesh. She didn't let him though, kicking his legs from out under him, causing him to drop to the ground.

He was about to push himself up, but Estelle jumped on top of him, straddling him, holding his arms down with her legs, pressing the blade to his throat. Amongst the small fight Estelle's hood had fallen down, letting her tied up hair to drop over her shoulder, and revealing her face. She could see his face too, and it made her stop. It was that same person she had met two weeks ago, up on the roof tops, whom she had given the feather, for him to give his younger brother. His golden eyes, and long brown hair, this was her target.

Ezio Auditore.

He could see her face too, but it took him a moment to realise he had seen it before. He looked on at her with a feeling of hatred, and surprise. Ezio scowled at her, glaring, "Are you here to kill me? Just like you had wrongly killed my brothers and father?"

Her grip on the blade loosened, and she stared at him with wide eyes. His brothers are dead? She never knew why he had been called to death, why she had been given this contract to kill this man. Maybe Luca was right? Maybe these people didn't deserve to die. Maybe she should ask questions...

"Why are you my target?" She questioned, "What have you done to deserve to die?"

Ezio continued to give her a glare, but answered anyway, "I killed Uberto Alberti, because he killed my family, he betrayed us. And now you are sent to kill me, to do another's dirty work? Am I right?"

Estelle stared down at him, thoughts coursing through her mind. Anger started to boil in her gut, but for what reason she did not know. She raised her dagger, aiming to puncture the skin of his throat, and kill him.

"What crime did your family commit to fall to such a punishment?"

"They were convicted wrongly of treason, my father, sent a letter to Uberto, which would clear up everything; he thought he could trust him. But he betrayed us..." Estelle looked at him as anger began to brew in his eyes. But there was innocence behind them; there was something in him that made her stop. She was drawn to him for some reason, as if she were meant to serve a purpose to him. To help him.

She dropped the blade, letting it clatter against the tiled roof.

Estelle gazed into his eyes with a harsh stare, her eyes narrowed. "Leave Firenze, never come back. I will say you are dead, and that will give you the cover you need to escape. I am letting you live Auditore, but if I ever see you again, I will kill you. Have no doubt about that."

She stood up, backing away from him and pulled her hood up, concealing her features once more. "Heed my word Auditore, leave. I am risking my life for you know, though I don't know why, and that means that if you do not disappear it will mean that we will both become fugitives."

Ezio gave her a sceptical glance, brushing the dirt off of his robes as he too stood, "Why are you doing this for me? A moment ago you were ready to kill me, and now you are helping me? What do you get out of it?"

"Nothing, but knowing that I am doing the right thing, I hope. The ones I work for will kill me; no doubt, I will be seen as a betrayer. I will lose everything I have left, but only if you are seen alive." She turned to him, picking up her dagger. Swiftly she cut at the leather that bound the insignia to his front, the curved triangle that looked like an 'A'. She had seen it before somewhere, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it. Ezio made to grab it out of her hands, but she kept it out of his reach, holding the silver to herself. "I need this to prove your death."

"Return it!" He snapped, reaching out for it again, only for Estelle to take a step back.

"I am doing you a favour! You do not know how to fight, you do not even have an adequate weapon on your person, if you stay here any longer you will die, and no one else will show as much compassion as I have." She sighed. "I have somewhere to go, I have a lot to do, and I cannot hang around here, arguing with you. Take this chance, leave, continue living, believe me, you will thank me for it."

Without waiting for an answer from him she began running across the rooftops, blending into the night.

She headed for the _Spada Fiammeggiante_, towards the only person she knew she could trust. Santa.

She came to the front of the restaurant, and stared at the front doors, and decided she had to take another way in. She began running along the side of the restaurant, until she found the balcony she wanted. With a run she began climbing up the wall, then pulled herself onto the platform, knocking on the door quietly.

"Santa? It's Estelle, let me in" She saw through the window by the door the blonde was staring at her, for some reason still in her uniform, which consisted of a long maroon robe, a thick leather belt synching it in at the waist, and a large circular seal on her front - the one with a feather upon it.

Santa made a move for the door, unlocking it and turning the handle, letting her friend in. "Este-"

"Quiet, nobody can know I'm here." Estelle cut her off, walking in and closing the door, then going over to the door that led into the corridor, and making sure it was locked. With a satisfied tug at it she moved back over to Santa, who was staring at Estelle with confusion in her eyes.

"Estelle," Santa whispered, making the brunette face her. "What is going on? Why are you being so secretive? Did something happen?"

Estelle looked up to her friend gently, "You know the target Captain sent me to assassinate? I didn't kill him"

Santa tilted her head, "Estelle, you know that was a very important contract, he killed one of the Order's most important allies! If you go to Nilda with the knowledge that you failed, she will execute you! You may be her favourite, but she will not allow something like this to go without punishment." Santa said a hint of panic in her voice. She walked over to her Estelle.

"I know, but I have told him to leave Florence, and never to come back. I have the seal that he wore, that should be enough proof to Nilda that he is dead. But I must ask for your help, Santa, for I cannot pull this off without you." She pulled out the curved triangle from her sheathe, where it had been attached. It was the seal that Ezio Auditore wore around his midriff, and Santa knew that instantly as she looked down at it. As she looked closer she could see old blood stains that covered the leather straps, and that some of the silver of the seal had been scratched, leaving thin lines across the surface.

Santa reached out her hand to take it, and Estelle allowed her, as she began pacing around the room silently, not making a sound as she moved back and forth across the wooden floor. "What do you need me to do?" Santa questioned, looking up at Estelle with determination in her eyes. She would do anything for this girl, as over the last three years they had become as close as Estelle had once been with another blonde. Maybe Estelle had been drawn to Santa because she reminded her of Alice so much, though they both couldn't be any more different, yet they way they would do anything for her was the same.

Estelle gave Santa a grateful smile, "I need to disappear, I am going to leave Florence. I can't stay here, I just don't feel safe anymore, and I cannot continue to follow Nilda's orders." She walked over to Santa's dresser, "I need you to go to Nilda, with news that I have been killed. Tell her that there is more than one assassin, and after I killed Ezio Auditore they then assaulted me. My body was thrown into the river, and will be too far down stream by now to be found."

She nodded in understanding. "Estelle, can I ask you something?" Santa said, to which Estelle nodded a 'yes'. "Why did you let him live? Ezio Auditore, why didn't you just kill him like the rest of your targets?"

Estelle had been expecting this from her friend, "I don't know, not really. I just felt like it wasn't his time, you know? Like he was meant for something more, and that he did not deserve to die. I felt this strange pull to him, but I don't know what... It seemed almost like something else was pushing me towards him" She answered, walking over to the balcony door, ready to leave.

"Wait, Estelle, where are you going?"

"I don't yet know, but I know that the Order has no bases apart from here in Florence, and the larger one in Rome. I will go to another city, possibly venture back to Britain where I believe I still have contacts." She opened the door, and pulled herself onto the railing, balancing on it. "Thank you Santa, you are my closest friend, and I hope we have the chance of meeting again one day."

Santa nodded to the brunette, "As do I little raven, till we meet again._Cave quid dicis, quando, et cui_"

Estelle saluted her, and then jumped off of the railing, back onto the dark streets of the night. Santa knew what she had to do, and went over to her dresser, picking up the dagger that Estelle had left without her noticing. Taking in a deep breath she sliced the blade across her flesh, then again and again and again, till it looked like she had been in a harsh fight. She ruffled her hair, and then began attaching her weapons, strapping her sword to her hip. She picked up the seal which Estelle had taken from Ezio.

With a sigh she made for her door, unlocking, making sure she could get in, then went for her balcony, jumping down just as Estelle had. She would have to go in the main entrance to make this all believable. Taking in a deep breath, she stepped towards the wooden double doors. This was not the first time Estelle had tried to disappear, and she knew the last time that the punishment that had been given was none too kind. She only hoped that this time it would actually work, Santa couldn't even bare to think what would happen to Estelle if this failed.

* * *

><p>The next day Estelle was heading for the gate out of Florence, making her way through the streets swiftly, not daring to look anyone in the eye as she passed, keeping her hood up. One viewing her from afar would have guessed she were a man, for her breasts were bound, she was too thin to have any real curves anywhere and the amount of weaponry she held seemed unfit for a woman. She preferred it being that way, for she would have no problems with men as she passed them by, making things much easier.<p>

Then somehow she sensed it, the familiar presence of one man, the same one she had encountered last night, the same one she vowed to kill if she ever met again. She stopped, and turned her whole body to stare at the man as he rushed through the streets; two women following him close behind. He too somehow noticed her presence, and stopped the two walking with him abruptly. He stared at her with a calculating gaze, he didn't know what she was doing here, but remembered her threat from the previous night. She seemed so sincere, but the way her aura pulsed made him think otherwise, she was an ally, for reasons he did not know. He could sense that about people, in some strange way he could know where a person's loyalties lay just by looking at them, and he knew that hers was with him.

He walked over to her slowly, and stopped a safe distance from her, though he was sure that she would not harm him in broad daylight, in the middle of a street. What had she said last night? That she was now putting herself in danger by letting him live? Something along those lines.

"Signora" Ezio said, bowing his head.

She nodded to him, and looked around quickly, making sure no one recognised either of them. "What are you still doing here?" She asked, her eyes narrowed as usual. "I told you to leave Florence as soon as possible, why have you not disappeared?"

"And why are you not killing me? I believe you said that you would have me dead the next time you saw me" Ezio questioned, for he was genuinely curious. She was a strange woman, that much he was sure of. "My remaining family and I are leaving at this very moment, but I believe we will have problems getting out of the city walls."

Estelle bit her lip, and turned her head to look at the city gate about seventy yards away, eyeing the guards there thoughtfully. With one final sigh she faced him, "I can get you and your...?" She drifted off referring to the two women waiting patiently a few feet away.

"My mother and sister" Ezio answered.

"Yes, well I can get you all out of here safely, but you have to do as I say. Is that clear?" She said. She was used to giving out orders, for she had become one of the higher ranking assassins in the Order, and thus had taught many younger recruits.

He nodded, and then with one last look to the hooded girl he went over to his family. "I have someone who is going to help us get past the guards, but you have to follow everything that she says." His sister nodded, though his mother remained silent by her side. He looked over at her sadly, but motioned for them to follow. Ezio walked back over to Estelle, "Okay, what are we going to do?"

"Just stay quiet, and follow me, I will do the talking. Do not look straight at them, and put your hood down for the moment, they will find you suspicious." She began walking towards the gate, straight for the guards who then stood up tall as she approached them.

One in the middle, with a thin black beard stopped her, pushing out his sword, making her stop instantly, though she gave him a strong, confident glare. "What business do you have outside the city walls?"

Ezio glanced over at the hooded woman nervously, though she didn't waver. She reached into her tunic, pulling out a long silver chain, a short cross on the end, much more like a 'plus' sign. "I am Sergeant Carello, Captain Nilda Verde has ordered me to transport this family to Rome safely. Stand down and allow us to pass," She said confidently, as if she had done a million times before. She gave the guard a look, just to see if he would try anything. "That was an order, not a suggestion."

The guard instantly tensed, "Of course Sergeant, as you wish." And with that he stepped aside, letting the four people through.

Ezio stared at the girl by his side curiously, "Who is this Captain Nilda Vaude?"

She tensed at the mention of the name, but relaxed as they walked down the path away from the city of Florence. "Captain was my former leader, they are the one that ordered me to have you killed." She answered truthfully. Why was she telling him this? She had vowed to protect the Order and its secrets no matter what, and here she was, talking to a complete stranger who she had for some reason allowed to live. She was going against everything she had been taught these last three years.

Then, Ezio's sister spoke up, "How could this have happened to us?"

He turned and gave her a soft look, slowing down so he was beside her, Estelle leading the way. "I don't know."

"Will we ever be back..." She questioned, staring at the ground sorrowfully.

"I don't know." Ezio repeated, a tad more forcefully this time, speeding up, trying to get to Estelle's side.

"What will happen to our house?"

"I don't know!" He snapped, and Estelle rolled her eyes. It was getting rather annoying, though she couldn't blame the girl; she could only be about, what? Thirteen, fourteen years old?

His sister looked up, slightly jostled by his harsh tone, her eyes watering. "Were they... were they given a proper burial?"

His eyes softened, "Yes, they were."

They had been walking for hours now, and she accompanied the Auditore family, taking the lead, walking alone at the front. Ezio looked up at her back, taking in the way she was slightly hunched over, and how she seemed defeated in a way, as if she had just lost something that meant a lot to her. He had never thought about it, but maybe when she had allowed him to live she was putting herself in danger, and thus had to leave behind everything just to stay alive. Just like him.

He walked up to her side, clearing his throat to get her attention. The only hint that she heard him was the tiniest twitch of her hood. He spoke up, "What is your name? I do not believe I have ever had the chance to ask you before now."

She looked at him then, and she took notice of how golden his eyes were, how he had such a strong jaw line, and how he gave her a very gently gaze. "Estelle Carello." She replied softly, though her eyes were still narrowed, he noticed. From the very first time he met her eyes were narrowed, her lips pulled into a straight line. It was almost like she knew no emotions. Like she didn't know how to smile.

"I am Ezio Auditore, and this is my sister Claudia, and my mother Maria." He said, motioning to the two noble women that were not far behind them. "Where are you planning to go?"

Estelle sighed, "I do not know, possibly to Tuscany or Forli until I can get transport to Britain. I'm not sure as of yet. But, I will escort you to make sure you get to where you need to be safely, you still have no sword on your person."

Ezio nodded, and began walking down a path, and then stopped, turning to the three women, "We should be close,"

Estelle nodded to them, though they could barely see it due to her hood.

They started jogging lightly, as the day was starting to fade away. But as the continued up the path a large group could be seen before them, and instantly, Estelle felt unnerved by them.

The one in the centre stepped forward, "Good day, Ezio" He moved closer, the men behind him following. "How could you leave Firenze without saying a proper goodbye?"

At once glance to the man in front of them Ezio motioned for his sister and mother to get behind him, leaving Estelle at his side. He still doubted her fighting ability, but was sure she could take care of herself.

"Ezio!" Claudia called out, watching the men circle them with weary eyes.

He motioned for them to come closer to him, "What do you want, Vieri?"

Estelle looked at Vieri, seeing the horrible smirk come to his face. "So many things! A larger palazzo, two new steeds, a prettier bride..." He was motioning to Claudia, looking her up and down. Estelle growled at that, she hated the way men treated women as objects, and that was why she dressed as such, nobody noticed her. "Oh, and yes... your life." He sheathed his blade.

Estelle sheathed her own two short swords, going to Ezio's side protectively.

"What is this? A little boy who thinks he can wield a blade? Pathetic Ezio, even for you, to make a child fight" Vieri laughed.

Estelle ignored the insult, that she had been called a pre-pubescent boy. She was used to it after all, in this place, no women seemed to wear trousers. The result was to be expected. "I can take you on no problem, Snape." She retorted sharply, referring the resemblance he had to the _Harry Potter_ character.

He ignored her, not understand the reference she made. "Anyway, my condolences for the loss of your father and brothers, Ezio!"

And with that the men around him rushed forward, heading straight toward the four eagerly. They obviously felt they had the upper hand, which they did, but Estelle wouldn't let that get to her. But one thing they didn't have, were weapons, Estelle noticed.

"What will happen now, that there is no one left to help you?" Vieri continued.

"Hey, I'm here you _figlio di puttana_! And I'm not going to let him die that easy!" Estelle snapped angrily, trying to make herself noticed.

As the first one came towards her she spun out of the way of their oncoming fist, plunging one of her swords deep into his gut, pushing him away with her boot, then moving onto the next one

Vieri gave her a snide look, but she could see the sleazy smirk that grazed his lips, and then turned his attention back to Ezio, who was standing in front of his remaining family protectively. "I have such wonderful plans for your mother and sister!"

As the last one of Vieri's men that was sent forward fell to the ground dead, he gave Estelle and Ezio a grim look. "I grow tired of this game."

"Well, you weren't exactly playing," Estelle muttered, though no one could hear her.

"Finish him, and do not spare the child or women" Vieri said, waving for his men to charge. They did, and sheathed swords from their sides, and began running.

"I'm not a kid, _testa di cazzo_!" Estelle shouted, tightening her grip on her blades, waiting for the men to get closer.

But they never did, as all of a sudden they began falling to the floor, dead. Vieri looked around, panicking as his men fell from an unseen force, "What sorcery is this?"

Estelle couldn't help but give him a blank stare, "There are arrows in their back, you idiot. Not that magical,"

Then she heard deep laughing, though from where she didn't know. "Not sorcery boy, skill!"

"Show yourself!" Vieri shouted.

The voice laughed again, and it made Estelle smirk. "As you wish!" Something then flew out of nowhere and hit the blade out of Vieri's hand, letting it clatter to the floor. Then a group of men appeared, a larger, older one in the centre of them. He was holding a sword, which he then threw over to Ezio. "Here, take this!"

Estelle almost laughed at the panicked look upon Vieri's face. "Kill them! Kill them all!" Then he ran away, leaving the remainder of his men to fight for their lives.

Estelle, not letting this chance of a fight go to waste began running towards them, a manic gleam in her eyes, using both of her blades to fight off the men. She noticed Ezio still defending his mother and sister, but ignored it, going back into her own fight. Soon enough – with much help to the new fighters on their team – all of Vieri's men were dead, and Estelle walked back towards Ezio, putting her swords in their holster.

Ezio raised the sword, holding it out towards the one who lead the group. He was an old man, and she could see from where she was that a long scar went through his left eye, leaving him blind on that side. "You have my thanks" Ezio said kindly.

The man shook his head, "Keep the sword Ezio."

Estelle raised her brow, "Do I know you from somewhere?" Ezio questioned.

"Don't you recognise me? It's a-me, Mario!" The man said, throwing his arms in the air.

Estelle couldn't help but snigger, turning away from them so they wouldn't see her face. "I think that's copyright infringement... _Nintendo_ won't be happy about that..."

"Uncle Mario?" Ezio said, before he was pulled into a strong hug by the man.

"It's been too long _nipote_, far too long. I heard what happened in Firenze... Terrible. Come. Let's get you all away from here." Mario said, but stopped when he saw the figure at the back of the group in dark clothing, still sniggering to themselves. "Who is this?"

Estelle stopped her silent laughter, knowing that the man was referring to her. She lifted her head slowly, and then turned to face him, though no one could see her face. She dropped the hood, her long, tied up hair dropping down over her back. Mario ran his eyes over her, taking in all of the light scars that ran over her face and neck, the tight fitting clothing that was well made for running and swift movements, and the large amount of daggers that were attached all over her body, along with the two short swords at her side. The only armour she wore was the steel vambraces and a matching set of greaves. Mario could tell by the hard, emotionless set to her eyes and the way she was constantly tensed that she was a killer.

Estelle stared up at him, her eyes narrowing again, furrowing her brow, her lips pulling into a thin line. She raised her chin slightly, which she always seemed to do now when she met someone for the first time. "Estelle Carello, at your service" She bowed.

Mario smirked lightly, "A fighting woman, not something you see every day. Anyway, are you going to join us?"

Estelle thought to herself for a moment. "I'm not going anywhere else, why not?"

Ezio groaned – he still didn't trust this woman, and the way she suddenly became stubborn and arrogant annoyed him, he kind of just wanted her to leave, as horrible as that may seem. But he wasn't going to complain, she had helped his family, again, he was thankful for that.

She bounced up beside him, a faint smirk on her lips, "Alright comrade, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>Yeah, I'm not going to translate some of those words, I think you can figure them out yourself. <strong>

**Okay, so Ezio was Estelle's target, and though it may not seem it at the moment, she kind of hates him, so things are going to get a little rougher in the next chapters. And I expect Santa to make a comeback at some point, and you will find out why she was given that name. I actually have a reason for calling her that. It was a stupid reason if I'm being honest.**

_**Cave quid dicis, quando, et cui –**_** Beware of what you say, when and to whom.**

_**Nipote**_** – Nephew**

**If you liked this chapter, or there are any mistakes, parts you find confusing, or just generally hate it, please tell me. I'm open to all kinds of comments, and I want to make it better. If you feel these chapters are too long, tell me, and I will cut them down a bit, and may even be able to update every week. Thanks to those who have reviewed so far.**


	5. Chapter 4 Mutaul Agreement

Flesh Puzzles

Chapter 4 – Mutual Agreement

The large group entered through a gate, heading into a desolate town, ranging in shades of grey and brown. The walls upon the houses were beginning to fall apart, the paint that was on them chipping off. Along the dark pebbled streets were puddles and dirt. The air around the place made the hairs on the back of Estelle's neck stand on end, for it didn't seem to be a very happy place. She looked around, ignoring the conversation that was going on between the Auditore family, drifting off into her own world.

She looked at the people as she passed them by, noticing the somewhat sullen looks upon their faces. "Sheesh," She said to herself, raising a brow. "Seems like these people could use a Happy Meal. Speaking of McDonald's I wonder if they have a pigeon coop around here." She wondered aloud, staring at the buildings as they passed them by.

They then arrived at the front of a large villa, though past its prime from the looks of it. As Estelle drifted out of her daze she noticed that they had stopped, and Ezio and Mario were now talking.

"Begin? Begin what?" Ezio questioned, obviously not on the same page as the older man.

Mario furrowed his brow, "I thought you'd come here to train?"

Estelle stepped closer to them, "Yes, Ezio. That'd be a wonderful idea, at least then you're less likely to die, that'd be a plus now wouldn't it?"

Ezio glared at her, "No, uncle, I came here to escape Firenze – and I intend to take my family further still." He said, waving a hand to the two women beside him.

Mario stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder, "But what about your father? He'd want you to finish his work."

Estelle's ears pricked at this, and she looked on curiously. "What do you guys do?"

"Yes, what does my father do? He was a banker, nothing more." Ezio said, sparing a glance at Estelle who was now listening onto the conversation with interest. "What are you listening for? This does not concern you, leave."

She gave him a dirty look, "_Fine, I'll just disappear then? Two times I saved your ass, then helped you get out of the city safely and allowed you good cover, and this is how you repay me?_" She muttered in English before storming off, ignoring the confused looks from the Auditore family, lightly bouncing down the steps. As she got to the bottom she looked around, and then started climbing the nearest building. People gave her strange looks, and some even stopped to stare. She glared down at them in response, "What are you looking at?" At the harsh tone to her voice they turned away, and began walking down the street once more. Estelle sighed in exasperation, "Pigeon coop, pigeon coop…" She mumbled as she scanned her eyes over the town, searching for one.

As she looked back up to the villa she could see Mario running a hand over his face before tiredly going into the building, Maria and Claudia following behind. Then she noticed Ezio walking down the steps, a small pouch in his hand. She ignored it, and began making her way through the shops herself after jumping down from the roof, looking for one that may hold parchment. She still wasn't sure what she was going to do, this was the only other place she had been to beside Rome in the last three years, and she noticed that it too lacked any electricity. She wasn't sure how it was possible, but maybe she had missed something on the news. Maybe there was to be a long term wipe of electricity in Italy, as the country may have gone skint?

No, that made no sense. "_I must admit, the way people speak here, is rather strange_." She said in to herself in English, which caused a number of heads to turn and stare at her. She ignored them, "_And I am pretty sure that Italy is a fairly well developed country, so why no cars, phones, or television? They don't even know who Leonardo Da Vinci is, and I'm pretty sure that he was born here._" She continued, "_I know I probably sound insane right now – I am talking to myself – but what if I somehow was transported into the past. I don't know why the idea never came to me before, even after many people had told me it was the fifteenth century I never truly believed it. But what if what they say is true? What if I somehow did come into the past, and now I'm stuck here? That means that I have no contacts in Britain then…_" Estelle stopped as she noticed a small shop, the wooden frame of the serving window splintering, making it look older than it probably was.

The old man standing on the opposite side of the window noticed her staring. "Can I help you?" He asked kindly, and took in her attire, not unnerved by the weapons that she had. Quite obviously because of the mercenaries who lived here the sight of weapons was not uncommon.

She gazed at him, "I'm wondering if you could direct me to a place to stay? Somewhere I can rent a room possibly?" She questioned in Italian tongue.

"There is a bar in town, called the _Dog and Bone_; they offer rooms, though I am unsure of the pricing, my dear." He said, tilting his head.

Estelle allowed a small smile of thanks grace her lips, "Thank you, can you tell me where to go?" After a few minutes of explaining the streets he was finally able to give Estelle a vague list of directions. She nodded in thanks, and made her way, following the directions the elderly man had given her.

"Where are you going?" She heard the familiar Italian accent of Ezio from behind her as she was about to step into the bar.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Why does it matter to you? What, worried I'm gonna run around and stab someone randomly?"

He shrugged his shoulders, "I don't doubt that you'd do such a thing."

Estelle rolled her eyes in annoyance and walked into the _Dog and Bone_, stepping up to the bar keep, Ezio trailing along behind her, obviously trying to find something to pass the time. The bar man, who had a light stubble, fluffy dark hair, and dark eyes stared at her as she sat down on one of the stools. "What can I get you?"

"How much for a room here?" Estelle questioned, ignoring Ezio who sat down beside her.

"Ten florins a night, Miss." The bar tender answered simply.

"I'll take one," She said, pulling out the amount of money from the pouch that was attached to the front of her bodice. The man took it quickly, and then dug in a drawer under the counter, pulling out a key and handing it to her. "Thanks," She muttered.

Ezio looked at her, now noticing her green eyes, the freckles upon her cheeks that blended with the light scars, the way a faint hint of purple could be found under her eyes, the way the bridge of her nose had a small bump upon it, and how her eyes were naturally sharp. Then the metal loop upon her left brow, and the three spheres that made their way up each of her ears. He never noticed all of these before; then again, he never had the chance to be this close to her without her trying to kill him. Suddenly, he wanted to ask her again, for he still didn't understand. "Why didn't you kill me?"

She turned her head to the side to look at him, giving him a dry stare. "Are you complaining? 'Cause I can change that, you know." Ezio raised a brow, but motioned to the bar tender to serve him, it was getting late after all. Estelle scoffed, though no humour could be found in her eyes, "Are you even old enough to drink? You don't even have enough hair to compete with a fish." She muttered.

He sent a glare to her, "I am pretty sure that I am older than you." He replied, taking the drink from the man.

She waved her hand at him, "I'm older than I look you know, I actually looked older when I was younger, which is kind of strange. That was the only reason I could get into pubs, plus I had Alice or James. They both looked older than me, considering they were."

Ezio stared at her, but took a gulp from his drink. "Are you avoiding the question?" She sent a look as if to say, 'What do you mean?'. He sighed, "About sparing my life."

Estelle placed an arm on the counter, placing her head in her hand stubbornly. "No. I don't know why I let you live, and now I'm regretting it." She snarled, "I honestly only think I let you live was because of your pretty face."

Ezio raised his brow, and then gave her a somewhat flirtatious glance. "You think I am pretty?"

She snorted, "It was pitch black, I could barely see anything, and plus that hood was in the way. You know, the night does that face of yours some justice."

The flirtatious tone in Ezio's voice dropped, but a smug smirk still played on his lips. "You still think I'm pretty."

"The back end of a dog is pretty compared to you." She uttered, picking at the splinters in the wood of the counter.

"You are one strange girl... you are a woman, correct?"

She glared over at him, "Do you have a death wish?"

"What? It was a harmless question" He said, smirking at her still, despite her glaring daggers at him.

"I don't like you okay? So if you would please stop talking to me that would just be _grand_."

"I don't like you either." He said,

Estelle scoffed, "Well, it's nice to know we have a mutual agreement. Now, leave me alone."

Estelle stood up then, grabbing the key for her room and heading up the stairs. When she entered her room she was met with the bland sight of the décor. To be honest, her old room back at the restaurant wasn't too bad; this was just a mix of browns and the odd splash of red here and there. Though she hoped it was dye, and not something else.

Letting out a deep breath she moved over to the dresser in the room, and began removing her weapons. Then she removed her clothes, leaving her in just her underwear. She picked up one of her longer knives, and slid it under the pillow of her bed, letting it be hidden by the red silk cushion. She wasn't taking any chances, for she didn't have a full house of well-trained assassins to help her if someone tried to kill her while she slept. Just a precaution.

* * *

><p>"I see your uncle Mario has provided you a new seal," Estelle muttered, pointing to the silver shape on Ezio's front. It was much newer than his last, for there were no scratches upon the metal. It had taken around two months, but it seemed the older Auditore had finally decided to give his nephew a replacement for the one Estelle had taken to prove his death. Though, she still wondered if it had worked, for she had not received a reply from Santa when she had sent that letter last month. Maybe Nilda had not believed her friend's lie, and had simply killed her for betraying the Order. Estelle pushed the thought out of her mind. "It's very shiny." She added, taking a seat on the railing of the training ring on the front of the villa estate.<p>

Ezio cast a glance over at her, but continued practising on the dummy before him. "So it would seem," He said, not too keen to talk to her. Though he had barely exchanged more than a word with her since they arrived in Monteriggioni, he didn't like her presence. The air around her was almost suffocating; maybe it was because she was so tense around everyone, so arrogant and withdrawn. He wasn't sure, but it just unnerved him. He had also expected to have left by now, have moved on and finally be out of his hair.

"I have a feeling you don't want me here anymore," Estelle murmured as she looked up at the clear blue sky, watching the birds that passed by. She placed a hand up to the back of her head, subconsciously running a hand over the black feather that was placed between her scalp and the ribbon that held her hair up in a ponytail. At the look he gave her she had guessed right, and then rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Auditore, I'm leaving tonight, and hopefully you'll never see me again."

Ezio stopped what he was doing, holding the thick sword at his hip lightly. "Where are you going?" He was curious, for he still didn't know if he could trust her or not.

Estelle glared at him, "I'm not going to tell you, it's none of your business what I do." She snapped, her eyes drifting down to the circular seal on her stomach, which she had worn for the first time in three months – the seal of the Order. She looked up at the roof of the villa to see a raven sitting there, staring out at the world before it.

He narrowed his eyes at her in suspicion.

Estelle looked up at him, fixing him one of her signature stoic gazes. "This is the only reason I came to see you. I thought that I should tell you considering I know of your lack of trust in me." She stood up, "Oh, and you're holding that sword wrong, if you hadn't already noticed." She added, staring at his hand that was holding onto the hilt.

Estelle moved forward without a word, grasping his hand, switching his fingers about roughly putting them in their correct positions. Ezio hissed in pain as her nails dug into his fingers, though she paid no attention to it. "What makes you so sure of yourself?"

She casted a glance up at him before kicking his feet further apart, then pushing his shoulders and knees. "I have been training for three years, and things as simple as stance stick in your mind when you are forced to hold them for hours at a time. Don't worry, it will become second nature to you soon enough." She moved away from him, pulling one of her blades out, "Well, come on, hit me."

Ezio rolled his shoulders, trying to get used to the strange feeling in his fingers, unaccustomed to their new position. Without another thought he swung his blade at her. She allowed it to clang against her blade, flinching slightly at the unexpected strength from Ezio. She pushed him back, smirking, "Better isn't it?" Estelle nodded to him, "Now, again."

* * *

><p>"Ah, Rome," Estelle murmured as she passed the historical landmark that was the colosseum. She stared up at the crumbling walls in mild fascination, raising her hand over her brow to shield her eyes from the pelting rain. The water had soaked her hood now, dampening her hair as it seeped through. She had been travelling for three days now, which was mainly because of the rain that had been persistent since she left Monteriggioni. She had to stop every few hours to allow her clothes to dry before she got a cold, and allow her horse some shelter too.<p>

With a tired sigh she urged her chestnut mare into a trot, making her way into the city. Estelle wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings, partially blinding by the constant sheet of rain before her eyes, but soon enough she arrived at her desired destination. It was a house, like any other, but the walls were breaking, covered in a thick layer of dirt. The ground was a wet, muddy scene, and all around very few people could be seen. Dismounting her horse Estelle guided it over to the stables beside the house, removing the reins and bridle, hanging them up in the tack room. She closed the gate behind her as she made her way back to the old house.

Without a knock she walked in, out of the rain to be met by the plain sight that was the main room. There was no furniture whatsoever, the old wooden floors collecting dust, and giving the room an old and dying appearance. It appeared as if no one had been in this house for many years.

Ignoring the sight around her Estelle made her way to the fireplace, which would have once been the heat source of the house when it was working. Lifting the firebox, brushing away any ash, it revealed a hole, light pouring from within it. Estelle pushed it up far enough for her to slip into the hole, dropping down into another room, letting the hole close behind her. This room was the complete opposite to the one above. It was much larger, with many paintings hanging on the walls, a large rosy sofa set against one wall, a long coffee table in front of it. Book cases lined the walls, filled to the brim with novels and encyclopaedias, their spines a wide range of colours. There were many doorways around the room, and Estelle headed straight for a set of double doors. She pushed open the door, revealing another room. A large counter ran along one end of the room, littered in papers, many shelves behind it, holding all sorts of things. Along the walls were weapons - axes, swords, knifes, bows, lances, everything. But Estelle wasn't interested in the weapons, though she did spare a glance to the shiny metals. She was directing her attention to the person sat comfortably behind the counter, looking at some diagrams on a piece of parchment, then to a contraption beside it. An array of tools were scattered around them, all there to edit to the piece of weaponry beside them.

The person was a man, in his early thirties, with a buzz cut of black hair, a long scar reaching from his right temple to the back of his head, leaving that line through his hair bald. He had full lips, large nose, and warm brown eyes that matched his chocolate skin. He wore a black scarf, a deep blue tunic, the long tail dangling off of the chair. Around his midriff was a black sash, along with a thick leather belt over the top. On his hands were a pair of fingerless leather gloves, steel vambraces and matching greaves.

The man then took notice of Estelle's presence, his eyes darting up to her, and then he slowly gave her a heart-filled smile, much like one would to a close family member. The light from the candle beside him cast a warm glow on his skin. He moved around from behind the counter, walking over to her, then bringing her into a back breaking hug, not worried about her skeletal frame unlike many people. Estelle took it gratefully; genuinely glad to see one of her closest friends.

The man pushed her away, holding her by the shoulders, taking in her appearance in full. He let out a hearty laugh, joy rippling through his spine, "Ah, Estelle, it is so good to see you again!" He bellowed, his deep voice flowing to her ears.

She smiled - something which had become so uncommon to her these past few years. "It is good to see you too, Marco."

Marco let go of her, going back around behind the counter, shuffling around underneath it. He appeared back up, a pile of fabric in his hand, and then handed them to Estelle. She took them gratefully, nodding in thanks, before removing her armour and placing them on the counter. "Now, I presume you are here because you heard Lino D'Amato was passing through. Am I correct?" He said, going back to configuring the item beside him

She nodded, the smile falling from her face as she removed her tunic, not bothered by his presence. She then pulled a white tunic from the pile, pulling it over her head and then some black fabric over that. It was a robe, much longer than her previous one, reaching down to the back of her calves. She then wrapped her white sash around her waist, and continued to remove her weapons from her body. "Yes, I caught word of him making a stop here, and since I haven't heard any movement from him in the past three years, I didn't want to let this chance slip." There was a light banging noise, but Estelle ignored it, thinking it was just the storm that went on above.

"I heard that you were dead." Marco muttered, not looking up to her. He picked up a quill and began making notes on a piece of paper, "So, what made you desert the E.T.A.O.?" Marco's eyes drifted upwards, and a smirk played on his lips, though he was curious.

She sighed, leaning against the counter, "I decided to think for myself I guess. I'm honestly not too sure why I left, afraid of being killed if I went back I think." At the look on his face she started to elaborate, "I didn't kill my target, which turned out to be very important to them."

"Ah, I have heard of Nilda and her slightly extreme ways, I do not blame you for wanting to leave. At least this time you were successful," He set his quill down, before picking up a few of the tools, and editing the contraption beside him. Estelle couldn't tell what it was, "Anyway, I am afraid I have very little information that will become of use to you, though you may stay here as long as you like." Marco sent a small smile to her, then his eyes darted to the doorway, "But I do know of someone who may have some valuable information for you."

Estelle stared at him for a moment before turning her head to the doorway also; locking eyes with the last person she expected to see. She raised a brow, straightening herself up.

"Hello, Luca."

* * *

><p><strong>Yay, finally updated :D anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter, though it mainly was a filler (and much shorter), as the next chapter – which is almost done – has a bit more of the side plot in it, and some action! YAS. And oh my, what's this? Luca? Well, you'll see more of him in the next few chapters, and he may even become a reoccurring character. And remember that Estelle has been training for three years, while Ezio has been using a blade for a few months, she is obviously going to be a bit better than him at the moment.<strong>

**Please review, alert, favourite, whatever. To be honest the last two reviews seriously made my day, so come on guys, your tiny reviews of saying please update make all of this worthwhile. **

**If there are any mistakes please tell me, I don't have a Beta, and proof read things myself.**


	6. Chapter 5 Children of Eden

Flesh Puzzles

Chapter 5 – Children of Eden

"I never got your name; the last time we met you were shoving your sword into my shoulder." Luca replied, pulling down his red scarf from around his neck to reveal a light layer of stubble on his face. His eyes were sharper, his features more defined, fresh scars dancing across his face and his posture straighter. Estelle could tell instantly that he had changed since the last time they had met, all innocence and fear he once held in his eyes gone. She couldn't blame him though, for this is what killing people for a living did to you.

Estelle cracked a sly grin, "Was that a metaphor for something?"

Luca raised a brow, rolling his eyes at her slightly perverted sense of humour. "No, it wasn't."

Estelle shrugged her shoulders, "The name's Estelle," She reached her hand out for him to shake, which he did with a good amount of force.

Luca tilted his head, and then his eyes drifted down to her stomach to see no sign of a seal. "Are you still a part of the Order?" He questioned with an underlying hint of anger in his voice.

"No, I faked my own death. As far as they are concerned I've been wiped off of the planet for good." She looked up at his hazel eyes as he moved into the room, heading towards Marco. He removed the crossbow from his back, dropping it on a free space on the counter, along with the longsword that was attached to his hip, and the large pouch of crossbow bolts. Marco moved the pile of Estelle's weaponry and armour from the counter onto the shelf behind him to make room for the rest of Luca's equipment. "So, have you tried to ditch them yet?" Estelle queried.

"I did as soon as you left me in that alley, considering it was probably going to be the only chance I got. Plus, I didn't want to return to the restaurant a bloody mess." He added, "You won't believe the earful I got from the doctor – 'Don't play with pointy objects', 'Stay away from angry prostitutes, and when you find one, keep everything that you deem precious hidden' – I had never expected a doctor to ramble on about such things."

Estelle noticed now the thick Arabian accent that he had, and she had to admit, she kind of liked it. She pushed a pile of papers off of the counter so that she could sit up there, earning an irritated groan from Marco who sent a glare her way. She ignored it, staring at Luca in mild fascination, noticing his slightly more muscular build, making look much older than the last time they had met.

He began removing his chest plate and other armour, then placing them on one of the shelves behind the counter. Estelle then noticed a long slice on his stomach, where the armour he wore was unable to protect. The blood could be seen through the material of his brown tunic, making the fabric go a dark, muggy colour. She bounced off of the counter, the tail of her black robe following behind her gracefully as she moved towards a cabinet that hung on one of the walls. Pulling out a small glass bottle, gauze, bandages and some needle and thread, she dumped them on the counter then turned to Luca. He was doing his best to ignore her, by looking everywhere but Estelle, "Hey, you. Over here. Now." She ordered, motioning for him to come over. He gave her a wary glance, "Shirt off so I can see that cut before it gets infected."

Luca's eyes widened, as if the prospect of being shirtless in front of her was a great horror. She rolled her eyes, but smirked smugly when he cringed in pain as he tried to move. With a regretful sigh he moved over to her, taking off his tunic to reveal a lightly toned body.

Estelle looked down at the deep burn mark on his ribs, the Celtic cross branding just like her own. Her eyes drifted over the slice on his stomach before grabbing the bottle of alcohol and then dabbing some onto a cloth. Pressing it to the wound she heard Luca let out a low hiss, "So, what do you want to know?" He said.

Estelle continued tending to his wound, staring at it thoughtfully, "Where he'll be and when. What he has as protection and what his next course of action will be."

"I know that he will be meeting at the colosseum in a week's time with a colleague of his, though I am unsure of what in regards to. I also believe he will be travelling there with a close associate of his who goes by the name of Orso Vastano, but I know very little of the man at the moment."

Estelle picked up a needle after sterilising it, "I'm gonna have to stitch this up Luca, the wound is too deep to heal on its own." He nodded in reply and she then got to work, "I will be expecting that he will have some form of protection, considering many people want him dead, I doubt he'd leave home without a few guards at his side. He is a slave trader after all, and practically plucks people off of the streets that he decides he will use for profit. I don't know how many families he may have torn apart because of such ways." She murmured.

Luca gazed down at her curiously, "Have you by any chance had someone taken by him?"

"No, he decided to try to trade Estelle. Didn't work though," Marco said, intervening in their conversation. "A member from the E.T.A.O. sprung her out just before the auction session was to begin."

"And that's when I became one of their mutts." She added, sealing the wound with one final tug. "Shirt back on now," She said after she had cleaned and bandaged it.

Luca followed her orders, letting his tunic fall loosely around his body. "The Order found me in a brothel, after I apparently appeared out of nowhere in someone's bed while they were… umm… you know." He trailed off, coughing awkwardly.

Estelle washed her hands, placing the medical supplies back in the cabinet. "What I don't understand is how the Order is able to find all of us foreigners, who have magically appeared in the country with no memory of any form of travelling. Don't you find it a tad strange?"

"I believe at one point they were looking for me too," Marco uttered, "I too arrived in this country out of the blue. But the confusing part of it all was the fact that none of my equipment worked despite it all being fully charged."

"What kind of equipment?" Estelle questioned, taking a seat on the counter once again.

"Phones, laptops, you know, the basic things that use electricity."

"So, I'm not the only one who noticed the lack of it." Estelle murmured to herself.

"And also," Marco continued, "They know nothing of Alaska. I mean, nobody here has heard of it and it's the twenty-second century for crying out loud, it's the only place with oil left at the moment."

Both Estelle's and Luca's head snapped over to him them, "I thought it was two-thousand and fifteen?" Estelle said first, casting a confused glance over to him.

"It's obviously sixteen-oh-one. I mean, you two must be going insane, speaking of this thing called electricity." Luca uttered, scratching the back of his head.

"_How can he say he's from four-hundred years ago? And you say one-hundred years after me,_" Estelle said to Marco in English, causing his head to twitch over. He had almost completely forgotten how to speak his own language, and hearing it from someone else's mouth made it sound so foreign. It had been twelve years since he appeared in Italy, and quite obviously, they didn't speak English.

"_You speak English? Where are you from? How come you never told me this before?_" He replied.

She shrugged her shoulders, "_Never came up in the conversation._" She cast a glance over to Luca to see him giving them strange looks. "I'm from Scotland, near Loch Ness more precisely."

"Interesting," Marco murmured to himself as he directed his attention back to the items before him. "Though I can't help but wonder how we all came to believe we are from different times and countries, with no recollection of travelling here."

"The thought had occurred to me – though how stupid and ridiculous it may seem – that I had somehow travelled through time." Estelle said.

"No, that does make sense. The absence of electricity is this first sign of that, along with the disappearance of some landmark buildings, as well as museums, schools and modern cities." Marco uttered, waving a hand over to her. "Your theory may not be as strange as you seem to think."

"This all sounds very much like magic to me," Luca added, as he stared at the two. "But if it is possible, then we must all be connected in some way, yes?"

"I guess," Estelle said, "But I suppose we'll just have to wait and see."

* * *

><p>A week had passed, and Estelle was leaning against the stone wall of a house, waiting for the slave trader Lino D'Amato to appear. She was back in her old attire, which she found was more practical for the occasion, and all of her weapons attached once again. Luca had also accompanied her, and was crouching beside her, almost completely engulfed in the shadow cast over them by the wall.<p>

The rain had finally let up, but what followed was dull weather, harsh winds and little to no sun. Though this did help them with hiding, it wasn't the most pleasant to be sitting still in. Estelle looked around quickly before running across the street, then climbing up the wall of another, taller house, Luca in close pursuit. She tilted her head slightly to look up at him from under her hood. "When should we expect him to appear?"

"D'Amato and Vastano should appear here around noon with a group of guards. Though I have been unable to acquire any details relating to whom it is they are meeting, I have been able to find out some other information on them." Luca looked over to her, "D'Amato always travels with Lieutenant Orso Vastano, who works with General Arturo Veronesi-Guardinini and Captain Nilda Vaude."

"I have never heard of either this Lieutenant or General, and I am certain nobody else has." Estelle gave him a quizzical glance.

"Both are of higher rank than the Captain, and very rarely leave the Roman base to travel to Florence. General Veronesi-Guardinini is the leader of the E.T.A.O., and has full command over all members, along with a large section of the guards in this city. But you are right in saying that, very few people actually know of him, as he keeps his identity a secret from the actual thieves and assassins of the Order. Apparently he thinks that it gives him more power, an advantage in some way. The same applies to Vastano, though he has made a few appearances in the _Spada Fiammeggiante_ in Florence." He adjusted the crossbow that was attached to his back, shifting it around to make it sit more comfortably against his spine. He then tugged lightly on the red scarf that covered half of his face, running his hand up to the loose knot at the back of his head that held up his shoulder length, wavy hair.

"Do you have any description of their appearances? I would think that it may come to use to us in the future at some point should we ever cross paths." Estelle said, narrowing her eyes in mild concentration as she stared down to the bustling streets below them.

"No, I am afraid not, but the fact that they both take residence in the Roman Elite base here may be of use to you at some point. Though I have found rumour that Veronesi-Guardinini works in a separate building to conduct research and meetings safely, unfortunately, I have no idea where this place is. It could be in a completely different city for all we know." Luca sighed to himself almost silently, though Estelle's ears picked up the breathing from her comrade – it was hard not to, considering he was no more than a few inches away from her.

His eyes shifted to her curiously, his brow furrowing in thought. "Are you planning to overturn the Elite Order, Estelle?"

A humourless laugh escaped her lips, and her green eyes didn't stop looking down at the noisy throng before them. "Of course I am. My eyes are slowly beginning to open and finally see what it is that they have had me doing for the past three years, and I am now realising how wrong it is." Estelle's eyes snapped over to him, sliding into slits as they glared at him threateningly. "Are you going to try to stop me?" She whispered, though there was a strong feeling of venom in her voice. Her top lip curled, showing the edges of her teeth, in an animalistic snarl.

Luca flinched at the tone of her voice – though she had been acting like this to him all week he was still not used to it, though slowly he was becoming more accustomed to it – but he kept a straight face. "I only wish to join your side of this fight that has not yet begun, believe me Carello. I have nothing to lose, do not think I would waste away my life hiding from them in fear, when in truth, there is nothing to fear."

Estelle remained silent, and turned her attention back to the street below, just as a large group of people made their way through the crowd, parting it like a warm knife through butter. There were two people mounted atop pure white steeds, surrounded by around eight armour clad guards. The first man on top of one of the white horses was in his late forties, with a head of short, choppy sandy coloured hair, along with a matching beard. His attire was that of a thick high collared red tunic, silver chest plate, bracers and a set of spaudlers. Along with that a long black cape was draped over one shoulder, and a sword was strapped to his hip. Luca knew this one to be Lino D'Amato, and the one who rode beside him to be Orso Vastano.

Orso was younger than Lino, probably by around ten to fifteen years difference, and was dressed in similar attire to Estelle, though he had a chest plate and the seal of the Order tied to his front, synching in his long grey robes.

He reminded both Estelle and Luca of Nilda Vaude, mainly because of the way he held his head high, fixing everyone with a harsh stare as he passed them by. Estelle couldn't help but wonder if this is what all members of the E.T.A.O. eventually became like, if she was like that.

She brushed off the thought, straining her ears to attempt to listen to the conversation that was going on between D'Amato and Vastano. But she couldn't block out all of the surrounding noises, listen in, and then translate it for herself. It was too difficult for her. Instead she urged for Luca to follow her, and so they began making their way across the rooftops, blending into the shadows every chance they got. This is what they were best at, what they were trained to do; run, hide and follow. They continued to tail the group, making sure to stay out of their line of sight.

Eventually they began to near the colosseum, and as Estelle looked up the walls she could see guards on every level, all equipped bows, swords or a weapon of some kind. She could tell it was going to be a hassle getting in, and that it may be hard getting past without being noticed. She turned to Luca, and motioned for him to take his own path. She eyed the guard that blocked the way to the nearest entrance, and moved herself to hide behind a pillar, removing one of the slick, handle-less daggers from one of the bands around her arms. She swung it around, satisfied when she heard a muffled thump and the gurgling sounds coming from the throat of the man. Making her way forward she saw that the blade had awkwardly cut through the guard's throat, and was lodged in it at a strange angle. Estelle grimaced, more so at her lack of skill with throwing knives than the mess that she had made, and removed the blade, wiping off the blood onto the guard's clothes. "Thanks mate," She uttered, sliding the knife back in its place before making her way deeper into the colosseum. Estelle emerged out into the first row of columns, watching as the group disappeared from her sights completely. She looked around, making sure no guards would see her, and noticed Luca on a higher level, slowly placing down the body of a guard. Estelle continued forward, weaving her way through the crumbling columns, motioning for Luca to take out and guards that would pose as a threat.

She pulled herself up onto one of the shorter columns, and looked down at the group that was forming on the lowest level of the colosseum. She could see Lino and Orso wave away their guards as they neared another person who stood opposite to them. He had a long black robe on, and much to Estelle's dismay, had a hood up, concealing his features. They watched as the guards walked away, and the hooded figure was first to speak. "How has research progressed?"

"We now have nine locations, though a many remain unspecified. We are hoping to send some scouts of ours out to check the existence of these lands, the ones we know nothing of." Lino said, clasping his hands together, as he nodded his head in respect to the figure before him.

The black hooded figure tilted his head to the side, "And what of the countries that we are familiar with? What has become of the excavations there?" They slowly paced around the two men, their hand rising to their chin.

"To completely cover each country we conclude that they will take six years each. Considering we are not the largest of Orders, General Veronesi-Guardinini has given permission for us to use his soldiers to help quicken the work. As far as it takes to discover these unknown lands, we know not how long it could take. We think that time could expand as far as twenty years, unfortunately." Lino continued, scoffing to clear his throat.

"As long as it comes to an eventual end, and you find _something_ then I do not care how long it takes."

Orso cut in then, "We also believe that the 'children of Eden' may be of more use to us than we originally thought." He looked over to D'Amato. "General Veronesi-Guardinini and Captain Vaude believe that they hold something inside of them, which is bound to their flesh. They think that they may have a connection to this thing called the 'vault'."

"Do you have any proof of this?" The hooded figure questioned, "Does the Elite Templar Order have any proof of this?"

Estelle could see Orso swallow visibly, "I do not, I am afraid you will have to bring it up with them yourself, they are the ones who specialise with the children."

The hooded person turned his attention to Lino, "I will not speak to that whore that calls herself a Captain, and as for Veronesi, he in truth is no better than she. I would have expected more feedback from the two of you, though it is clearly obvious that I was wrong, for all you have brought me is absolutely useless."

Lino clasped his hands, "Actually, word has been received from the Elite Order base in Firenze that the final Auditore son has been eliminated, but the wife and daughter of Giovanni have fled Firenze. Also, a group of white robed assassins were sighted the night of the Auditore son's death, whom of which were responsible for the ambush and death of the Sergeant of the Order."

The hooded figure nodded in approval, "That is good news that the Auditore have been wiped, Giovanni had become a problem as of recent, and to know that none of his sons will carry on his profession and cause more harm is pleasing. The women will not be of any problem to us, and if they have fled then there will be no point in hunting them down. Was this Sergeant of any importance?"

Orso nodded, "Yes, she was a child of Eden, and thus may have been of use to us had the time arrived. Her death though would not have been a problem if we still had her body, but unfortunately her carcass has been lost in the river."

Lino continued for his comrade, "The part of them that we need resides within their flesh, and Nilda has a theory that it will continue to work even without a live body."

"A theory? Therefore she knows not if it is true?" The hooded figure snapped.

"It is basically a–" Orso never got to finish what he was about to say, as his voice broke into that of a painful cry. Estelle could see the two crossbow bolts that had embedded themselves in his left shoulder, dangerously close to his heart.

Estelle looked around wildly till she spotted Luca perched on top of a column, kneeling as he held his crossbow close to his face. His finger pulled the trigger once again, the bolt sliding into the flesh of Orso's shoulder along with the other two. Estelle let out an angered groan, staring at her comrade with a small twinge of hate, but directed her attention back to the three people below her, who were fixing her with shocked stares. In an instant she unsheathed two of her knives, and threw them straight for Lino's head. The missed their target completely, instead clanging against the stone of a column that stood behind him.

Estelle furrowed her brows in annoyance at her lack of ability, and jumped down to their level, disappearing behind a column, out of their line of sight. She removed her two swords, holding them at her sides as she bound around the three figures, hiding in the shadows, blending into the darkness. She saw D'Amato take out his own sword, his head darting from side to side, turning around in circles, looking for her to appear. Estelle also noticed the absence of the hooded figure, and Orso lying against a column, holding onto his shoulder in agony.

She jumped out, bringing her sword down onto D'Amato, getting a clean slice across his shoulder. He backed up, gripping onto the hilt of his sword, hoisting the blade out in front of himself protectively. Estelle swung at him again, but this time he blocked her, and she could feel the strength from him as he pushed her back. She didn't falter though, continuing to bring her sword at him, getting one or two hits at him. Lino had been able to make contact with her skin a good few times too, and this had become too many. She was no match for him that was for sure - she was weaker than him by a great amount - and she only hoped that her speed would be enough to keep her alive.

Estelle and Lino continued to collide, until Orso stood up. "Guards!" He shouted as he began to back away from the two fighting people. The clanging of metal could be heard as the group of eight appeared, swords at the ready, waiting for their next command. Orso pointed over to Estelle, and in an instant the guards charged towards her, their swords raised high, no sign of mercy in their eyes. As to protect herself from the oncoming blow from one of the guards she jumped away, losing sight of her the slave trader. D'Amato took this chance to flee, running through the columns with a new burst of speed.

Estelle wanted to run after him, but she'd have no chance of getting past these men without being killed. It seemed she would have to kill them first. One guard down, two guards down. Another slice formed across her arm as she plunged one of her swords deep into the abdomen of the guard beside her, kicking him away as he fell to the ground, dead. She then heard a low groan behind her, followed by a loud thump. Estelle turned around to see another guard dead, a crossbow bolt deep within his throat. Looking up she saw Luca running towards her, pulling out his sword and plunging it into the closest man, blood flying across the floor. With a nod of thanks Estelle continued to fight the remaining three guards with Luca by her side, and they cut through them in little time.

Estelle panted, and looked over to Luca. "Go after Vastano and make a clear exit for us. I will take care of D'Amato." She ordered, putting pressure onto the long gash that reached across her stomach. As Luca nodded she ran off, slipping her swords back into their halter as to make herself move quicker. She pulled herself onto the nearest column and began to bound across them, noticing D'Amato in the distance. She eventually caught up to him, landing on the flat ground behind him, and without a moment's hesitation she jumped onto his back, making him fall face first onto the ground. She flipped him so that he was lying on his back and pressed one of her knives to his neck, holding him in place with her legs, pressing her knees deep into his elbows to stop him from moving.

"Tell me what you know of the Elite Templar Order, slave trader." She hissed, showing little to no mercy.

Lino narrowed his eyes, trying to see through the darkness caused by the hood Estelle wore. Her accent was foreign to him, and so, sparked an interest, "I will not speak till I know who you are, I feel I deserve as much since I know I'm going to die anyway."

Estelle glared down at him, "I was the Sergeant of the Order in Firenze, Estelle Carello."

He smirked up at her, "I have heard very much about you, Carello, but to see you come back from the dead and turn on your leaders, now that I did not expect." Lino coughed, causing the blade by his neck to pierce the skin. "I remember you, the one who got away. Oh, yes, I do know that I had you at one point," He said as he noticed the look on her face, "Had you not disappeared you would have made me a very good amount that day."

"Stop straying from the subject, tell me what you know." She uttered forcefully, pressing the blade deeper into his skin threateningly.

"Fine," He muttered, the smirk falling from his face. "The Order is planning something, they are hoping to find the prophet and use the Apple and children of Eden to open the vault."

"What is this vault that you speak of? A bank of some kind?"

"No, we believe it to be a gateway of some kind, into a world unknown to us," he paused, whether because the pressure from the knife was straining his neck or for affect, Estelle didn't know. "Where God resides."

Estelle narrowed her eyes at him, not believing him for a second. She was not a religious person, though she respected other people to have their own, she was sceptical about anything and everything, "What are the Apple and children of Eden? What does the Captain want with them?"

"The Apple is a weapon of God, fallen from the tree of knowledge, down to earth. And the children are connected to the Apple, much like its 'seeds'."

She never took her eyes off of him, "Tell me the names of your comrades."

"I do not know many, the Order does not trust me with such information, they never respected me." He said, an underlying hint of hate in his voice. "Gaspare Quadrelli is a Florentine banker who funds the work of the Elite Order and keeps the Apple in a heavily guarded vault. Find him and kill him, Estelle, start what I should have done years ago. Bring down the Order, and stop them." Lino pleaded, a firm set to his eyes, his lips in a straight line.

"Why are you so keen to betray your comrades, D'Amato?" Estelle questioned suspiciously, placing a hand behind his head to support him, easing her grip on the knife.

"They do not deserve the power they seek; they are nothing but lying, cheating, corrupted scoundrels! They do not deserve to live, for they destroy the good people in this world, without any form of remorse." He replied, "I know that you can do it Carello, I can see it in your eyes."

"You have only met me for a few minutes dear D'Amato, you do not know how callous I can be." She uttered, finding the subtle kindness in his words strange to her ears. "But I will search out Gaspare Quadrelli, have no doubts about that, now, rest in peace dear soul." She said gently, swiftly sliding the blade into his throat.

She watched as his head went limp, and she closed his eyes, gently placing him on the floor. She ran her hands into the leather pouch at his side, removing an old roll from it that had become a strange gold colour. Estelle unrolled it, but as she set her eyes on the script she realised that she could not read it – she couldn't read Italian in the first place, only speak it – and then decided to leave it to Marco when she returned to the underground safe house. Luca arrived at that moment, panting heavily as blood and sweat dripped from his brow, rolling down his face to be soaked up by his dark scarf. He bent forward, pressing his hands against his knees, "I-I've gotten a safe route out for us. Vastano got away but he doesn't know our identities, we are safe for the time being."

Estelle stood up slowly, and faced her comrade, fixing him with a stoic gaze, "I believe they will have already begun their search for D'Amato, so I think our best course of action for the moment would be to return to Rao, and get our wounds tended to." With that the two of them began walking away, and she noticed out of the corner of her eye the limp in Salvati's step. She rolled her eyes, pulling one of his arms across her shoulders to support him, knowing full well that he would not ask for help, his pride getting the better of him.

He was just like her in a way.

* * *

><p>Luca was sat on a wooden chair he had brought up near the counter of the weapon room of Marco's underground house, spreading a thick paste onto the deep wound on his leg. He had many small bandages across his body, though; thankfully his leg was the worst part of him. Estelle was not as bad as he, and had been able to get out with only minor wounds that would heal quickly. She was back in her long robe, her hair up in a loose bun to keep the long strands off of her back for the time being. She was looking at a roll of parchment, staring at the diagrams upon it curiously. Estelle jiggled her foot absentmindedly, "So, what do you think of it? Any ideas so far?" She said to Marco who was – as usual – parked behind the counter, a plate of meat beside him as he ran his eyes over the golden page that Estelle had retrieved from D'Amato.<p>

He stabbed the fork that was in his left hand into the pork, shovelling a large chunk into his mouth. Chewing loudly – and rather unattractively – he set the fork down as he began searching through a pile of letters on the shelf behind him, where both Estelle's and Luca's armour lay peacefully. After finding the one he needed he placed it on the counter, then began rewriting it on another piece. He was translating the Italian into English for Estelle, knowing full well that she was illiterate in the language. Marco waved a hand, motioning for her to come over, "I know a man who may be able to decipher the words on this page. I also have many more pages, similar to this one, all written in the same language. I have had a few arrangements with the man a number of times, and I believe he may just have the knowledge to decrypt these pages. He pushed away the parchment which he was just writing on, handing it to Estelle. "This is all the information you will need should you wish to find him."

Estelle picked up the sheet, reading the cursive script of Marco's hand. Her head snapped up, "Leonardo da Vinci? Seriously?"

Marco rested his chin on his hand lazily, "Yes? Those that name have any importance to you?"

Luca looked over to Marco, "You do know that he is one of the most remembered men of all time, right? He was an absolute genius, artist, engineer – everything really. He was the man to paint the Mona Lisa"

Estelle nodded in agreement, "Yeah, how could you not know about him, Rao?"

Marco shrugged his shoulders, taking another bite of the pink meat – which made Estelle look away in disgust, for she was a vegetarian after all. "Anyway, that doesn't matter. Just to let you know Carello, that I will join you to Firenze if you decide you want to venture to this man. I have work out there that I must complete, and I'd imagine that you'd need somewhere to stay whilst you are there, out of sight from the Order's 'birds'."

Estelle nodded in thanks. She knew what he meant we he referred to them as birds; she herself was referred as one as well. It was how one's ranking was shown through the Order. She herself was known as "Raven", and Santa was known as "Shikra". All of the newest recruits were called "canaries", simply because they were sent into an area during a mission to check for definite danger.

The next rank were called "magpies", for they were the thieves section of the Order, acting much like the bird itself – stealing shiny, valuable objects. Then above them were the "falcons" who were the lowest rank of the assassins, then once you became higher than that you eventually got your own individual name, along with a feather of that bird which set your rank permanently. Estelle never paid much mind to these terms, but she had often been referred to as "Raven" by the majority of the Order when she was part of it.

"Yes, I think I will take up your offer on that, I believe it would be a wise move for us to leave Rome for a while. I know that they will search the streets for both Luca and I, so I wish not to be around when they do."

"Yes, that will be a very clever move on your part Estelle. And I recommend to you Luca that you join us there, or journey to another city for the next few weeks till the chaos dies down."

"I will do so; I have been looking up some information and have found an associate of Vastano's resides with the walls of Firenze. An executioner, a man who sees every woman who shows an inch of flesh a whore, every child who speaks rudely to be the spawn of the Devil, and every person who does not believe in Christianity to be demon worshippers." Luca said, placing the tub of salve on a small stool beside him. "I feel he is in the same league as Orso, and may perhaps have some knowledge as to who that other figure was that night. He may even know something about these children of Eden" he shared a glance with Estelle, "If not then I think the best course of action would be to seek out Vastano, Vaude, or Veronesi-Guardinini, and interrogate them about it in some way."

"But we cannot risk exposure," Estelle added warningly, "If any one of them recognises us, then that could be everything over for us."

"We will think about plans when the time comes, Estelle." Marco said calmly, sending a small smile of comfort her way, which she did not return. "Now, I suggest rest, for the both of you. We will leave tomorrow at the first sign of sunlight."

* * *

><p><strong>Sorry I was late, my mum died two weeks ago, and the funeral was last Monday so I have been a bit busy with the paper works and all, and school starting again, so this got pushed to the side for the time being. And I know this chapter is choppy, but I just wanted to get it out there, so please do not hesitate to point out any errors. : )<strong>

**Hopefully I will update in the next two weeks, cause the next chapter is already half written out! And Leonardo appears :D he's so adorable.**

**Please review! :D Thanks to everyone who has so far!**


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